Falling For a Mutant
by VioletRose13
Summary: On a trip to New York City, Principal Celestia encounters a strange and mysterious creature she had never seen the likes of before. But Equestrian magic isn't the culprit this time. What happens when an ordinary high school principal catches the eye of a wise ninja master?
1. Prologue

"Ugh, why can't I get this right?!" Donatello exclaimed in frustration, slumping over his notes.

"What is troubling you, my son?" Master Splinter asked as he entered the lab.

"Nothing, Sensei." Donnie replied. "I'm just trying to figure out this anomaly I recently discovered." He turned his computer monitor to face Splinter; there was a video of a bright light flying around the sky. "It almost looks like some kind of comet, but it couldn't be a comet. I mean look at it. In this video, it was flying around like it was a living organism. And see the color? It's… yellow _and_ pink. I can't explain it."

"Perhaps _I_ could be of some assistance?" Splinter offered.

"What? Oh, no, Sensei. It's okay; you don't have to do that."

"No, Donatello; I wish to help. Tell me more of this light."

"Okay. Well, I found out that a small fragment of this light fell and landed somewhere in the city and it's emitting a lot of power. If someone else finds it first, it could be bad news."

"I could track it down for you."

"_You_? Are you sure, Sensei? I could always call Leo, Raph, Mikey, or—"

"Your brothers are in another part of the city discussing plans with the Mutanimals, Casey has practice for a hockey game, and April is having a night out with her father. Let me do this, Donatello. I can handle myself. Trust me."

Donnie scratched his head in thought for about thirty seconds before making a decision. He sighed and handed his father a T-Phone. "Well… okay, Sensei. As long as you remain in contact with me at all times."

"Of course." Splinter took the T-Phone and pulled his hood over his head. "I will be back soon, I promise."

"And Sensei?" Donnie put a hand on his father's shoulder. "Be careful out there."

Splinter nodded and smiled at Donnie before grabbing a sword and running out of the Lair.


	2. Meeting Celestia

"And that concludes our meeting." A man with slick dark hair and wearing a gray suit declared as he stood up from his seat. "See you all next year."

Everyone in the room then stood up from their own chairs and headed for the door, eager to go home and get some sleep. Principal Celestia of Canterlot High School was one of them; she had a long day and was going right back to her hotel and go straight to bed. But just as she was about to head out the door, she remembered she left her cell phone in the meeting room. Thinking fast, she ran back to the meeting room and searched all over, but she couldn't find it.

"Looking for this?" A deep voice asked.

Celestia turned around to see that very same man holding her cell phone. She sighed in relief.

"Oh, phew. Thank you so much, Dr. Warren." She said, taking her phone and putting it in her purse.

"Why of course, Principal Celestia." Dr. Warren said; he gave her a wide smile and a raised eyebrow. "So now that this boring meeting is over, what do you say—?"

Celestia's eyes widened in shock and she took a step back before he could finish his last sentence. "I'm sorry, Doctor, but I really must be going. The bus will be leaving soon."

Dr. Warren grabbed her wrist as she was heading out. "There's no need to take the _public_ bus. Much too crowded. _I_ could give you a ride back to the hotel myself."

"Oh, no, no that's fine. I-I wouldn't want to be a bother." Celestia was growing more and more uncomfortable by the second. She tried to pull away, but he wouldn't let go.

"No, I insist. New York City can be a dangerous place. It's not safe for someone like you to be out on the streets, especially this late at night."

"I'll be _fine_."

Celestia finally got her wrist free and swiftly headed for the exit as fast as she could. She grabbed her coat and headed outside, but the bus was already gone. Now she had to walk. Rolling her eyes and sighing, she hurried down the sidewalk in the direction she thought led to her hotel. As Celestia walked, she grew more and more uneasy. She had never been to New York City before and it was starting to frighten her. She soon noticed a strange light coming from on top of an old warehouse a few yards away.

Burning with curiosity, she wandered closer to the building, wondering what it could possibly be. As she was staring up at the abandoned warehouse, she noticed something move in the corner of her eye; she looked to her right and saw a large shadowy figure leaping from rooftop to rooftop; it was approaching the old warehouse.

Thinking fast, she ran to her left and into an alley next to the warehouse so she wouldn't be spotted. Her mind racing and her heart pounding, Celestia tried to figure what was going on and who or _what_ she had just seen. It almost looked like a person, but she couldn't tell because it was so dark, even with the many streetlamps lighting the roads. She then noticed a fire escape above her; she climbed up and found herself on the warehouse roof. She got closer and closer to the center where the strange light was shining the brightest. Unbeknownst to her, the figure was on the roof too and it was approaching the light.

Celestia saw the figure take out something small and whisper into it; she couldn't make out what was said, though. Then she noticed the light; it was glowing a golden yellow followed by a very bright pink. She realized that this must've been some kind of Equestrian Magic.

'I'd better grab it. The Rainbooms will know what to do.' She thought.

Thinking fast, she snuck closer to the light and reached out her hand to try and grab it, but the figure was reaching out a hand for it too and soon, they both grabbed hold of the glowing object and their hands touched.

They silently gasped and looked up, only for both of them to be left completely speechless. Celestia couldn't believe what she was seeing; the figure she saw before was wearing dark red robes and a hood covering its entire face. But for some reason, she couldn't stop staring into his deep brown eyes under that very hood. The stranger stared in complete awe; this woman was across from him unlike anybody he had ever seen or met before. She had skin as white as snow, long flowing hair colored with the shades of a sunrise, and sparkling magenta eyes. She was beautiful but also a little strange herself; he couldn't explain it.

Suddenly, the large window they were both standing on had broken and Celestia screamed as she fell. She clung to the large window sill, holding on for dear life. Then the stranger offered a hand to her; she took it and he pulled her back up, only for him to slip and fall backwards… which caused Celestia to fall on top of him. They nervously get back onto their feet.

"Um… hello." She said, nervously clearing her throat.

"Hello." The stranger said in a smooth, deep voice; he adjusted his hood. "You are probably wondering what I'm doing out here. I assumed nobody would be out this late at night. What exactly are you doing out here?"

"Oh, I was just trying to find my way back to the hotel I'm supposed to stay in. I don't know New York very well and I got lost, so… yeah."

"But what are you doing on this roof?"

"I noticed a light up here while I was walking and I guess I let my own curiosity get the better of me."

"It happens to even the best of us."

"Curiosity killed the cat, I suppose. Then what's _your_ story? What are _you_ doing all the way up here?"

"I just came to get that." He pointed a finger at Celestia's hand and she noticed what she was holding; the source of the light was in the shape of a smooth gemstone, almost like a large pearl or an opal.

"Oh, this?" Celestia asked.

"Yes." The stranger answered.

"What do you need it for?"

"My son needs it."

"You have children?"

"I have four sons."

"Interesting. And why does your son need it?"

"He is trying to study it."

"Study it?" Celestia looked at the gem in her hand and gave the stranger a playful smile. "I don't know, I think I'm going to have to hold onto this for safe keeping."

"What? But _I_ saw it first."

"You don't know what this is, do you?"

"No, but I assume _you_ do not know what it is either."

"Not exactly, but I _do_ know that this is some kind of Equestrian magic and if it falls into the wrong hands, it could lead to disaster."

The stranger's eyes widened in confusion. "Equestrian magic?"

"Oh, right. Not everyone knows what that means."

"Well, what _does_ it mean?"

"I'm afraid I can't tell you. It's nothing personal, it's just a secret."

"But my son requires that gemstone for his studies. Plus, I did see it first. So why do you not just hand it over?" He offered his hand.

"Well, I _grabbed_ it first. Plus, something like this can be pretty unpredictable, especially if you don't know what it's truly capable of. But if you really want it, you'll just have to come and get it."

"Very well."

Celestia then something around her ankle before she spun around which caused her to nearly lose her balance. When she turned back around, the stranger was holding the gem in one hand.

"Thank you." He said smugly.

"That's not fair." Celestia said before she fell through the window again.

"How graceful." He joked, looking to see Celestia hanging onto the sill again.

"Oh, hahaha, very funny." She rolled her eyes and smirked.

"Quite the warehouse, hmm?"

"Oh yes, it's wonderful. You should see it from the inside."

"And why should I?"

Celestia giggled before she grabbed the stranger's hand and pulled him into the warehouse with her. In the process, he dropped the gem and it landed in Celestia's open hand. She jumped onto some boxes and tried to walk away with it, but the stranger quickly snatched it out of her hand and jumped onto the boxes behind her. He gave a smug smile

"Ima dare ga jōshidesu ka?" He said in Japanese.

"What did you just say?" Celestia asked with a chuckle.

Before he could respond, one of the boxes the stranger was standing on fell and he quickly grabbed one of the metal beams attached to the ceiling. He looked to see Celestia holding the gem again; she was also holding a rope hanging from the ceiling.

"Who's the boss _now_?" She said with a wink; she tossed the rope over to him.

"That is what _I_ just said." He said, grabbing hold of the rope.

"Sure it was." She giggled.

They went back and forth. Celestia and the stranger kept trying to grab the gemstone from each other, all the while flipping and jumping all over the empty warehouse. Eventually, the two of them made it to the middle of the floor, directly under the hole in the window. They held the gem, staring into each other's eyes before red lights started flashing and an alarm sounded. In a panic, the stranger ran to the nearest window and climbed out, leaving Celestia alone. She looked at her hand and realized that she was still holding the gem; why did that man want it so bad? What was he up to? Was he telling the truth? And how did his son know about any of this?

Sirens came from outside. Thinking fast, Celestia ran to that same window, climbed out, and ran away from the building as fast as she could… only to be caught by a couple of police officers after running only a few feet. She froze and quickly stuffed the gem into her coat pocket.

"Identify yourself." One officer said.

"Th-they call me Celestia, sir." Celestia replied with a stutter.

"Celestia. What kind of name is that?" Another officer laughed; Celestia rolled her eyes.

"That's enough. Ma'am, have you seen anyone or anything suspicious? Did anybody come into this warehouse?" The first officer asked.

"Um… No, I haven't. I was just on my way back to my hotel when the alarms went off. I didn't see anything." She lied.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"So do you need any help? You seem a little lost."

"To be honest, I am a little lost."

"Do you want a ride?"

"What? Oh, no. I couldn't possibly."

"Hey, nothing's in here, chief." A third officer called, exiting the warehouse with a few other cops.

"No, it's okay."

Celestia paused before relenting. "Alright, if you insist. Thank you."

She climbed into the back seat of one of the cop cars and they all drove off in a different direction while a pair of eyes was watching them leave.

"Celestia… Her name is Celestia." Master Splinter said, removing his hood.

He furrowed his brow and started to run after the cars, hopping from rooftop to rooftop, unaware of the T-Phone attached to his robe going off.


	3. It's a Date

Celestia made it to the hotel and walked into the lobby where her sister, Vice Principal Luna, was waiting for her. Luna had her arms folded and her brow furrowed.

"I didn't see you on the bus. Where have you been?" Luna asked.

"Sorry, Luna. I… left my phone inside and I must've missed the bus." Celestia replied, lying through her teeth.

"Well… don't let it happen again, okay? I'm really tired and I just want to go to bed."

"Yeah, me too."

The two sisters walked over to the elevators, pushed a button, and went up to their room. As she got ready for bed, Celestia couldn't get that hooded figure out of her mind. He seemed so mysterious and yet so charming all at the same time; even though she could barely see his face, she didn't seem to care.

"Something's on your mind." Luna said.

"What?" Celestia asked.

"Did something happen while you were out in the city?"

"Uh, um…"

Luna took a closer look at her sister then after a minute, she pulled away with wide eyes.

"You met someone." She declared.

Celestia froze. "What?! No! No way! Well, maybe, sort of. Uh…" She smiled. "…Yes. Yes I did."

"Oh! Who was it?"

"Well, I'll tell you one thing. I met a man."

"Really?! Tell me EVERYTHING! I need details! And be sure to go slowly. What's he like?"

"Well, he's tall, strong, fast, nimble, and he's also very friendly and charming… in a curious sort of way."

"Curious? How so?"

"Well, I… I really can't explain it, Luna. He just seems so… different from the other men I've met in my life. I don't know."

"Well, that's good."

"But…" Celestia took the gemstone out of her coat pocket and showed it to Luna. "He was after this."

Luna stared. "What is it?"

"I think it's some kind of Equestrian magic, and for some reason _he_ was after it. He said he was getting it for his son."

"His son?"

"He said he has four of them. I wonder why he was after it the first place."

"Well… maybe he's not what you think, Celestia. Maybe that whole charming yet playful thing was just a façade."

"You don't know that."

"You don't either. And besides, if you got together it probably won't work out anyway. It'll probably end up as a doomed love. It just can't be, you know?" Luna paused and frowned before looking at the gem one more time. "Perhaps we should consult Sunset Shimmer about this. She might know what to do."

"…Yeah. You're probably right." She clutched the stone tighter in her hand and let out a soft sigh.

Master Splinter had arrived outside the hotel. He looked up at the building, wondering which room that woman could possibly be in. There were so many windows and rooms to choose from, he didn't know where to start. Then he noticed a balcony door open three stories up. He climbed up a building adjacent to the hotel and looked to see that same woman; she was wearing a pale pink bathrobe and yellow slippers. With the light from the room from behind her, she looked radiant to him.

'It's her…' He thought.

"Could it be true? Are we really doomed to never see each other again?" Celestia lamented. "I know we've only just met and my sister believes you're up to no good… but I don't believe that. I just wish I could know more about you. Luna thinks we're not meant to be, but what does she know? That shouldn't be the thing to keep us apart… should it?"

"No, of course it shouldn't." A familiar voice called. Celestia froze and turned her head to see that same hooded stranger standing on a rooftop across from her.

"You!" She gasped before closing the balcony doors behind her so Luna couldn't hear what was going on. "Did you just hear all of that? What are you doing here? How did you know where to find me?"

"I am sorry. I, um… I just wanted to see you again, so I might have followed the police car you were riding in." Splinter replied.

"You _followed_ me here?! Are you crazy?! If anyone sees you out here, they'll call either the government or pest control! Maybe BOTH!"

"That is, _if_ they see me." He smiled and took a few steps back.

"Wait, what are you doing? No, stop! It's too far! You'll fall!" Celestia warned before covering her eyes in fear.

After a moment or two, Celestia reluctantly opened her eyes to see the stranger standing right in front of her. She took a step back as she noticed more of his features; she couldn't quite make anything out though. She reached out and slowly removed Splinter's hood to reveal the face of a rat. She gasped; he sighed.

"I should have known that would be your reaction." He said solemnly, turning around to leave. "I will go."

She quickly grabbed his wrist. "No, wait. You don't have to go, not yet. You can stay, just for a while."

Splinter paused. "But why? You know what I am now."

"So?"

"My form… does not bother you?" He raised an eyebrow.

"No. Why would it bother me?"

"But I am a rodent the size of a human."

"I've seen worse."

"I…I don't understand. How are you not afraid of me?" A thought popped into his head. "Does this have something to do with that magic you have mentioned?"

"Perhaps. I have seen a couple of my students literally transform into demons. I've also seen a trio of girls who turned out to be magical monsters from another world; they were using their singing to control the entire school. And don't forget about a bunch of portals to different dimensions opening up out of thin air _and_ the talking dog."

Splinter's eyes widened in shock; Celestia rolled her eyes.

"Let me guess, that is the most ridiculous story you have ever heard, right?"

"I-I-I… No. Please, tell me more."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I wish to more of this magic." He nodded enthusiastically.

Before Celestia could even start to tell one of her stories, a knock was heard. They both froze.

"Celestia? Are you okay?" Luna's voice asked; she was trying to open the door. "You've been out there for an awfully long time."

"Oh no. It's my sister." Celestia whispered in a panic. She turned to Splinter and tried to keep the door closed. "You have to go before anyone sees you."

"But when can I see you again?" Splinter asked.

"How about… tomorrow night? But not here."

"Of course not. We could meet near the movie theater."

"That sounds perfect."

"But what time?"

"Midnight?"

"No sooner."

"I can do 11:45."

"Done."

"Great."

"Good."

"Super."

They laughed.

"…I believe Shakespeare is right. Parting truly is such sweet sorrow." Splinter lamented.

Celestia smiled before reaching into the pocket of her robe and placing something into Splinter's hand. It was the gem.

"I… think _you_ might need this more than _I_ do." She said.

"Thank you, Celestia." Splinter said.

"You're welcome. Wait. How did you know my name?"

"I overheard you talking with those police officers back at the warehouse."

"Oh, that makes sense. Well in that case, what should I call _you_?"

"Call me… Yoshi."

"Yoshi? Alright, I will. Well goodbye, _Yoshi_."

"Goodbye, _Celestia_. And thank you again."

And with that, Splinter took a grappling hook out of his robes, climbed onto the balcony hand railing, shot the hook at another building, and swung over to it before climbing onto the roof. Celestia blew him a kiss before he disappeared into the night. She smiled and happily sighed as she headed back inside.

"Who were you talking to out there?" Luna asked, folding her arms.

"Hmm?" Celestia asked, trying to sound innocent.

"Who is Yoshi?" Luna paused. "Was it that man you saw earlier?"

"That's for me to know and for you to find out. For now, it's time for bed."

Celestia headed over to her bed, took off her robe and slippers, and laid down before Luna rolled her eyes and reluctantly followed suit. Outside, Master Splinter was on his way back to the Lair with the gemstone in hand; he was talking to Donatello on his T-Phone.

"Wow, thanks so much for doing this, Sensei." Donnie said on the other end.

"You are most welcome, Donatello. I'm glad I could help. And do not worry; I will be home very soon." Splinter said into the phone; he didn't say anything about his encounter with Celestia.

He couldn't get her out of his mind.


	4. The Turtles Learn of Celestia

Training was rather different the next morning. The Turtles and April were practicing together as usual, but Master Splinter didn't seem like himself. Leonardo was the first of the Turtles to notice.

"Hold up, everyone. Sensei?" Leo asked, approaching his father who was standing off to the side in silence.

Splinter looked like he wasn't paying any attention. It was like he was lost in his own thoughts, unable to snap back to reality for some bizarre reason. He also had a rather goofy smile on his face while zoning out at the same time.

"Sensei?" Leo asked, gently shaking Splinter's shoulder.

This quickly snapped Splinter out of his trance. He yelped in surprise and shook his head before turning to face Leo with a surprised expression. Donnie, Raph, Mikey, April, and even Casey approached their sensei.

"You okay, Sensei?" Mikey asked.

"Yeah, you seem off today." Raph commented.

"Is something wrong?" April inquired.

"I… I am sorry." Splinter sighed. "I was just thinking."

"…Does it have something to do with that gemstone you brought back last night?" Donnie asked. "You never did tell me how you got a hold of it."

"Yo, what gemstone?" Casey asked.

"I offered to help Donatello with an experiment by fetching a sample of a strange light found somewhere in the city." Splinter explained. "But it is not the gemstone that has my mind off track. It was… an encounter."

"What happened?" Leo asked.

Splinter paused before saying, "…I met someone."

The adolescents gasped.

"Who? Who did you meet?" Raph demanded.

"Was it the Kraang?" Donnie asked.

"Or one of Shredder's goons?" Casey added.

"None of those… I met a woman." Splinter answered.

"A woman?" Mikey asked.

"As in a _human_?" Leo added.

"Yes, but she was not like anyone else I've seen in this city. She is… different."

"How so, Sensei?" April asked.

"Well… she had glowing white skin, magenta eyes, and her hair almost shared the colors of a rising sun. She was not only lovely on the outside; she was also kind, playful, and gentle. For some reason, I felt drawn to her. She was so beautiful."

Splinter then told his students everything that happened the night before… even his date with her at 11:45 that night. April, Donnie, Leo, Mikey, Raph, and Casey all looked at each other in shock; they had no idea what to think.

"You're not actually gonna go, are you Sensei?" Raph asked.

"…I _am_ going, Raphael." Splinter said.

"What?!" The Turtles cried.

"Yes, my sons. I _like_ Celestia and she seems to like _me_, too."

"Celestia? _That's_ her name?" Leo asked.

"Yes, Leonardo. And she told me she is not from New York. She is from a place called… Canterlot City."

"_Canterlot_? Sounds like a made up place to me." Mikey commented.

"Are you sure you want to see her again, Sensei?" Raph asked.

"Yeah. I mean, you hardly know anything about this woman. She could be a spy or a mutant in disguise or anything." Leo said.

"I don't believe that."

"But Sensei, you _just_ met her and you don't know what she could be capable of."

"That is exactly why I am giving her the benefit of the doubt, Leonardo. I do not care what any of you say. I am going to see her _tonight_."

Furrowing his brow, Splinter picked up his staff and headed to his room in a huff, closing the doors behind him. The room was silent.

"Celestia is Latin for sun." April commented.

"So?" Casey asked.

"For someone with a name like that, I don't think this lady means any harm." April said.

"How do you know that?" Leo asked.

"I don't, it's just a hunch. Maybe… maybe we just need to know more about her." She took out her T-Phone and made a call. "I'm calling in a favor."

"Who are you calling?" Donnie asked.

"Karai." April replied, putting the phone to her ear.

0-0-0-0-0-0

Principal Celestia had just gotten back from the swimming pool and was about to take a shower to wash off when she heard a tap on the window. She froze and wondered if it was Master Splinter.

'He's early.' She thought as she headed towards the balcony, wearing a bathrobe.

She opened the balcony door, but there was no one there.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" She called.

"No one important." An unfamiliar voice said.

Celestia froze. "Yoshi? Is that you?"

"No, this isn't Hamato Yoshi." The voice said before a young woman dressed in black suddenly appeared in front of Celestia. She removed a witch's hat and smiled. "My name is Shinigami."

"What do you want from me?" Celestia took a step back.

"Just information, nothing too special." Shinigami answered.

"What kind of information?"

"The basics, like who you are, what you are doing here, and… how you know Hamato Yoshi?"

"How do _you_ know of him?"

"His sons and daughter sent me."

"Yoshi has a _daughter_? He didn't mention that."

"That is not important. Tell me more about yourself, Miss Celestia."

"…Why should I? You already know who I am and how to find me."

"Do not shoot the messenger. I only need to gather information for my friends. They are worried for their father's safety and they are somewhat suspicious of you."

Celestia opened her mouth to speak before she paused. "…Well, I suppose that makes sense. What do you need to know?"


	5. Getting Ready

"That's it? That's all you can find out?" Leo asked.

"Yes, my friends." Shinigami calmly replied. "I believe that this Celestia truly means no harm. Other than mentioning something about 'Equestrian magic' once or twice, she seemed pretty normal and innocent."

"Are you sure?" Raph asked.

"Yes. I'm sure."

"So now what?" Donnie asked.

"Maybe… maybe all we can do now is support Sensei." April chimed in. "He does seem pretty excited."

"Yeah, I haven't seen him this happy in a long time." Leo commented.

Just then, Mikey had an idea. "Wait! I just thought of something!"

"Whatever it is, it's bound to be stupid." Raph rolled his eyes.

"What if we could help Master Splinter get ready for his date?" Mikey asked.

The room quickly went silent. Leo, Raph, Donnie, Casey, April, and Shini all looked at each other and then back at Mikey with wide eyes.

"That's… actually a pretty good idea." Donnie said.

"Yeah, I have my moments." Mikey said proudly.

"Don't let it go to your head." Leo said just as Master Splinter walked in. "Hey, Sensei. We just wanted to say sorry for yelling at you earlier. We were just worried."

"I understand, Leonardo." Splinter said. "And _I_ apologize for acting so childish earlier. I was out of line and being immature, and I'm sorry for that."

"It's okay, Sensei." Leo said.

"And to make up for that, we've decided that we're gonna help you get ready to meet with Celestia." Raph added.

Splinter raised an eyebrow. "Get ready?"

"Yeah. Don't you wanna look your best for her?" Donnie asked.

"Well, yes I do, but…"

"Then let's get a move on." Mikey chimed in.

Before Splinter could say anything else, he was already being led to where the tire swing was hanging. Shini had grabbed a bottle of soap and emptied its contents into the water beneath as Leo and Donnie removed their sensei's robes and the cloth wraps around his wrists and forearms.

"My sons, there is no need for you to do this." Splinter insisted. "I assure you that I am perfectly fine. Besides, I have not had a real bath in a long time and my fur usually gets tangled when I'm all wet—"

Then, Splinter felt himself being pushed from behind and he fell into the water with a splash. It took a few seconds for him to emerge from the soapy water; he coughed and furrowed his brow at his students.

"_Never_ do that again." He hissed.

"Less talky, more scrubby." Mikey tossed his father a large bath brush, which he reluctantly took.

0-0-0-0-0-0

At the hotel, Celestia was getting ready as well. She thoroughly washed, dried, and brushed her hair, did her makeup, and tried to pick out an outfit when Luna came into the room. She found her big sister wearing her bathrobe and trying to decide on an outfit to wear that night.

"Do I want to know?" Luna asked.

"Oh, Luna. Thank goodness you're here. I'm torn." Celestia sighed in relief. "I need a second opinion here. Which one do you think Yoshi would like best?"

"Yoshi? Oh, you mean that stranger from last night." Luna replied.

"Yes. Should I go with a simple white dress with silver sandals or a golden yellow sweater with—?"

"Stop. Who cares?"

Luna looked at her sister with a stern look on her face. "…I don't think you should go."

Celestia was taken aback. "What? Why not?"

"I don't trust this Yoshi, and I don't think _you_ should either. Who knows what he's up to? I'm not sure Yoshi is even his real name." Luna replied.

"He may be different, but he is a good person; I can tell."

"How can you possibly know that?"

"When I looked into his eyes, they were gentle and kind. He means no harm, I assure you."

"You don't know that."

"And that's why I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt. And I don't care that he's a rat either."

"He's a WHAT?!"

Celestia froze and looked back at her sister. "…I said that last part out loud, didn't I?"

Luna nodded, but remained silent; she furrowed her brow and narrowed her eyes at her big sister, expecting a proper explanation. Celestia looked back at the clothes that were laid on the bed and smiled; she picked up the clothes and headed back into the bathroom.

"I have an idea."

She closed the door behind her; Luna pinched the bridge of her nose. "This is going to end _so_ badly…"

0-0-0-0-0-0

It took a while and quite a few bottles of soap, but in the end, Master Splinter was all clean. His fur was combed, his teeth here brushed, his beard was trimmed, and even his robe was washed and dried; he looked like a new rat.

"Not bad." Casey commented, scratching his chin.

"Not bad at all." Shini added with a nod.

"Wow! Looking good, Sensei." Raph said with a thumb's up.

"Yeah! I bet Celestia's gonna be _really_ impressed." Mikey grinned.

"I hope so, my sons." Splinter said, looking at himself in a mirror. "I do not think I have ever felt so refreshed." He turned to face his family. "Thank you, thank you all so much."

"Of course, Sensei." Leo said with a smile.

"We're glad we could help." April beamed.

Splinter smiled before he remembered something. "What time is it?"

Donnie took out his T-Phone to check the time. "It's exactly 11:00 pm."

"Oh no. I must meet Celestia at the movie theater by 11:45. I cannot be late."

"Well, you'd better get a move on then." Casey said.

Splinter grabbed his cane and a T-Phone and turned to head out before Leo put a hand on his shoulder.

"Sensei… be careful. And have fun." The turtle said.

"I will." Splinter said with a smile before finally heading out.

"…He'll be fine." Donnie commented.

"So… who's up for some Chris Bradford?" Mikey suggested, hopping onto the couch and turning on the TV.

0-0-0-0-0-0

"Oh, I'm going to be so late!" Celestia said as she grabbed her coat, purse, and cell phone.

"I still say this is a bad idea." Luna commented as she was sitting on the edge of the bed; she rolled her eyes and folded her arms.

"I don't care, Luna. It's rude to not show up to a date you're actually looking forward to. Besides, Yoshi is already expecting me." She grabbed her room key. "I'll probably be back late. Don't wait up."

And with that, Celestia was already out the door, leaving Luna by herself. She took out her own cell phone and dialed before raising the phone to her ear.

"Hello? Sunset Shimmer? I need to talk to you and the Rainbooms right away." Luna said. "It's about Celestia."


	6. The Date

As she walked down the sidewalk, Celestia took out her cell phone and checked the GPS, hoping she was going in the right direction. She looked up and saw that she was heading towards a movie theater, the place she and Splinter agreed to meet. She smiled and put her phone back into her purse. She stopped in front of the entrance and looked around the area, hoping nobody would see. She checked her wrist watch and saw that it was almost 11:45.

"Oh, I hope I'm not too late." Celestia said to herself.

"Looking for me?" A familiar voice asked.

Celestia turned around to look for the source of the voice, but there was no one there. Then she felt someone tap her shoulder. She quickly turned and was almost nose to nose with Master Splinter. She took a step back in surprise as he let out a chuckle.

"Did I scare you?" He asked playfully, lifting his hood to show his eyes.

"Uh yeah, a little bit." Celestia said, checking her watch again. "And what do you know? Right on time."

"Were you keeping time?"

"Sorry, that's probably Twilight's influence."

"Twilight?"

"Twilight Sparkle, one of my students back at Canterlot High."

"Ah."

"Yeah, she's probably the smartest and the most punctual student we've ever had."

"That sounds a lot like my son, Donatello."

"Donatello? _That's_ your son's name?"

"_One_ of my sons."

"Oh, that's right. You have _four_ of them."

"Yes. They are named Leonardo, Raphael, and Michelangelo."

"How interesting."

"I suppose it is."

They shared a laugh.

"So, what should we do now?" Celestia asked.

Before Splinter could respond, his stomach suddenly let out a low grumble. Celestia suppressed a few giggles as he blushed in embarrassment.

"I-I apologize." He said. "I was in such a hurry that I must have skipped supper."

"That's okay." Celestia said. "I sort of skipped dinner, too. We should probably get something to eat right about now."

"Agreed."

"I didn't think to bring anything. If I did, we could probably have a picnic on the roof of one of these building."

"While a rooftop picnic does sound romantic, I believe I know of a place where we can go."

"You do?"

"Yes. Follow me."

Splinter took Celestia's hand and they made their way down the sidewalk until they stopped in front of a small noodle shop somewhere in Chinatown.

"Welcome to Murakami's." Splinter said.

"This seems nice, but are you sure we'll be welcome?" Celestia asked nervously.

"Certainly. Murakami San won't care what you look like. In fact, he won't even know what you look like. He is blind."

"He is? Oh dear."

"But he does not let that stop him from doing what he loves. My sons visit every once in a while and they are always welcome."

"Really? Well, then what are we waiting for?"

"After you." Splinter said, holding the door open for Celestia.

"Oh, what a gentleman." Celestia said as she entered; Splinter followed close behind.

"Ah, good evening and welcome to my humble shop." A round, elderly man said as he turned to face the door; he had a big friendly smile on his face.

"Good evening, Murakami San." Splinter greeted with a smile.

"And who is this? Why it is Hamato Yoshi, the Turtles' master. It is an honor to finally meet you, Yoshi San." They shook hands. "Ogenkidesuka."

"Arigatōgozaimasu."

"That is great. So what brings you to my shop this lovely evening?"

"I am actually here for a late supper. And I hope you do not mind, but I have brought someone with me. This is Celestia."

Celestia stepped forward and extended her hand to the blind man, which he happily took.

"Hello, it's nice to meet you." She said kindly.

"It is a pleasure to meet you as well, Miss Celestia." Murakami said. "So what shall it be?"

"Two orders of Pizza Gyoza, please."

"Right away." Murakami smiled and started to cook.

Celestia gave Splinter a puzzled look as they sat down. "_Pizza Gyoza_? What in the world is that?"

"A special dish of Murakami San's own creation." Splinter answered, removing his hood. "Since my sons love pizza so much, he decided to turn it into a new kind of dish."

"Really?"

Two platters of dumplings were set in front Celestia and Splinter along with a cup of tea and a set of chopsticks for each.

"Here you are. Extra cheese, just how you like it. Enjoy." Murakami said.

"Itadakimasu." Splinter said, bowing his head and smiling.

"Oh. Um, Itadakimasu." Celestia said, doing the same thing.

Splinter picked up the chopsticks and began to eat. He glanced over at Celestia and saw that she was curiously inspecting her food. He swallowed.

"It's okay." He said. "I was as skeptical as you when my sons first introduced this dish to me. But believe me, it is delicious. Just give it a try. You would be surprised." He took a sip from his cup of tea.

"Okay, fine. Just one taste." Celestia picked up her chopsticks and reluctantly popped a dumpling into her mouth; her eyes widened and she smiled. "Wow. Wow, this is amazing! Probably the best thing I've ever tasted!"

Splinter chuckled. "See? I knew you would like it." He ate another dumpling.

After they finished their meal, Celestia and Splinter stood up and Celestia gave Murakami some money.

"Thank you very much for the meal." She said kindly.

"You are most welcome, Miss Celestia." Murakami said. "I hope you two enjoy yourselves for the rest of the night."

"Arigatō, Murakami San." Splinter said.

"Dōitashimashite, Yoshi San." Murakami said before Splinter and Celestia exited the restaurant; he smiled. "Sorera wa…"

As they walked, Celestia and Splinter looked at each other and couldn't help but smile.

"So, what should we do now?" She asked.

"I don't know." Splinter answered, stroking his beard. "Perhaps we could go to the dock. No one would be there."

Celestia paused and thought for a moment before giving him a playful smile and taking his hand. "Lead the way, Hamato Yoshi."

Splinter smiled as they walked in the direction of the pier.

0-0-0-0-0-0

Celestia and Splinter sat on the edge of the pier side by side, watching the stars.

"This is so beautiful." Celestia said, dreamy-eyed.

"Indeed it is." Splinter remarked.

"You know, my sister actually prefers the night to the day."

"Really? …What is your sister like?"

"Oh, she's wonderful. Though she can get a little moody sometimes. Luckily, it's not very often. I still love her. Do _you_ have any siblings?"

Splinter suddenly froze. He couldn't tell Celestia about his life with Oruko Saki, or the Shredder, and what he did to Splinter in Japan; he just couldn't. What would she think? How would she react to Saki's numerous crimes? What would she do? Worst of all, what would Shredder do if he found out about Celestia? Since he was still out there somewhere, who knows what could happen? These questions buzzed through Splinter's head like a swarm of angry wasps, refusing to calm or slow down.

"Are you okay, Yoshi?" Celesta's gentle voice asked.

"Hmm? What?" Splinter said, snapping back to reality. He looked at Celestia, who was giving him a concerned look.

"You suddenly went quiet. What's wrong?"

"I, um… nothing. It is nothing. Just thoughts of my past, nothing more."

"Your past? Care to tell me?"

"…Why?"

"Well, correct me if I'm wrong, but you looked a little troubled. Did something happen?"

"…I don't want to talk about it."

"Oh! I'm sorry; I didn't mean to put any pressure on you. I understand if you want to keep things secret, but if you ever decide that you want to talk about it, you can always come to me. I promise I won't judge."

"Really?"

She nodded; he smiled.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"Celestia? …I don't think I have ever met someone like you. As odd as it sounds, I feel I could truly relate to you."

"Really? Well believe it or not, _I_ have a bit of a past too."

"You do?"

"Yeah. I hardly talk about it with anyone; it just brings back old memories. It's never easy."

"I understand. But if you wish to talk, I am here to listen." Splinter wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

Celestia looked into his eyes and gave him a small smile. "Thank you."

She then wrapped her arms around his neck in a hug; he paused for a moment, then he hugged her back. They split and looked back at the ocean before them.

"You know this is crazy, right?" Celestia asked.

"I do." Splinter replied with a sigh. "I just never thought I would find another adult to really talk to."

"Yeah, I know exactly what you mean. All of the other adults I know just want to talk about work and politics and boring things like that. What I really need is someone I can really talk to, someone who understands my feelings, opinions, and morals."

"I know how you feel. But this could never work… _could_ it?"

"Well, a human and a mutant? It just can't be… _can_ it?"

They looked away from one another and remained silent for a moment until Splinter spoke up.

"I would love to do this again soon." He said.

"_I_ would, too." Celestia said before a thought popped into her head. "Hey, I just remembered something. There's a masquerade party at the hotel I'm staying in on Friday. We could meet up there."

"A party? In _public_?"

"Oh, don't worry. It'll be a _costume_ party; everyone will be dressing up and wearing masks. If you come as yourself, you'll blend right in."

Splinter stroked his beard and narrowed his eyes in deep thought. He glanced back at Celestia. "May I at least think about it first?"

"Of course. I'm sorry; I was just a little overexcited."

"It's fine; I shall think about it. I promise."

"Good… Do you have a phone?"

"Yes."

"Do you think we could exchange numbers?"

"I don't see why not."

Celestia took a pen and a sticky note out of her purse and handed them to Yoshi who wrote down the number to his cheese phone. In return, she did the same and they exchanged notes. They smiled.

0-0-0-0-0-0

Splinter walked Celestia back to her hotel with his hood drawn.

"I hope to see you again soon, Hamato Yoshi." Celestia whispered as she stood at the entrance.

"Me too, Principal Celestia." Splinter replied with a smile; Celestia giggled before leaning in and giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.

He smiled before walking out into the darkness; Celestia went up to her room, grinning all the while. She unlocked her room and went inside, only to be met with her sister sitting on the bed… along with the seven Rainbooms on the screen of an opened laptop.

"Top of the evening to ya." Luna said.

"Luna, what are you doing? What are the Rainbooms doing here?" Celestia asked.

"Principal Celestia… who is Yoshi?" Sunset Shimmer asked.

0-0-0-0-0-0

As quietly as possible, Splinter snuck into the lair only to see his four sons sitting on the sofa waiting for him.

"Boys, what are you still doing up?" He asked.

"Nothing." Mikey said nonchalantly.

"How was your date, Sensei?" Donnie asked.

"It was… great." Splinter replied, clutching the sticky note behind his back.

"That's good to hear, Sensei." Raph said.

"Yeah, we're just glad you had a good time." Leo said, getting up from the sofa. He yawned. "I think it's about time we all head to bed. You can tell us everything in the morning, sensei."

"Very well, Leonardo. Goodnight, boys."

"Goodnight, Sensei." The turtles got up from the sofa and walked in the direction of their bedrooms.

Splinter headed for his own room and closed the doors before he stuck the note to the glass cover over his cheese phone. He smiled.


	7. The Next Day

"And one, two, three. One, two, three. One, two, three." Splinter said to himself as he moved around the dojo, trying to waltz. But he was struggling; Ninjitsu was somewhat easy for him, but dancing was an entirely different story. He spent most of the day trying to learn and practice, but he wasn't getting any better.

"Why can I not get this right?" He muttered.

As he was practicing, April came in.

"Uh, are you okay, Sensei?" She asked.

"April! Oh, yes, I am fine." Splinter quickly replied.

"What are you doing?"

"Trying to ballroom dance, but… I am having a little bit of trouble."

"If you need help, you can always ask. _I_ know a thing or two about dancing."

Splinter paused; he remembered the day the Turtles saved the Earth from the Kraang and the Technodrome and he also remembered seeing April dance during their celebration. He gave her a puzzled look.

"Don't worry, Sensei; I'm not _that_ bad." April said confidently; she walked closer to her teacher. "You've taught me so much already, so _I'll_ teach _you_ how to properly ballroom dance."

"You will?"

"Of course. But… why do you want to know how to dance this all of a sudden, Sensei?"

"Oh! Um, Celestia has invited me to a masquerade party this Friday and… I do not know how to dance. I'm afraid."

"Sensei, you shouldn't be afraid to try something new. Dancing is easy, you just move to the groove. Take a chance, life is full of surprises. You tell us stuff like that all the time. I'll be more than happy to teach you. Come on, what've you got to lose?"

Splinter furrowed his brow and stroked his beard, contemplating his situation. He didn't want to get in any kind of trouble, but he also wanted to have a good time with Celestia. He looked back at April and smiled.

"Very well, April. Show me what you know." He said.

"That's the spirit." April said with a smile. "Now, let's start with a few basic steps."

0-0-0-0-0-0

"Just a little tighter here and… there!" Donnie exclaimed as he finished tightening a bolt. "All finished."

"Yo, Donnie! What are you up to?" Raph asked as he, Mikey, and Leo entered the lab.

"Whoa, dude! That is so cool!" Mikey cried.

"What is that thing?" Leo asked.

"Nothing too special, just a little something I've been working on for a while." Donnie answered. "It's a custom-built car for Master Splinter. I just finished it today."

"Wow!" Mikey said in awe.

"That's really impressive." Leo commented.

"Doesn't look like much, though." Raph added.

"Not so fast, Raphael." Donnie said, wagging a finger and smiling. "It may not be flashy, but this simple low-rider is stylish _and_ stealthy at the same time. You don't need a key to start it. All you have to do is sit down, push the button next to the wheel, and it immediately starts. It can drive on almost any terrain and can go at phenomenal speeds without even trying. Cool, huh?"

"Wow… I guess that is pretty cool." Raph said, nodding his head.

"But what should we call it?" Leo asked.

"Oh yeah. I'm still trying to figure that out—" Donnie started before being cut off.

"The Rat Attack!" Mikey yelled.

Raph, Donnie, and Leo stared at their little brother with wide eyes for a minute or two. Mikey just smiled, looking tall and proud as if he just passed a big test.

"What? It's the perfect name." The young turtle said.

"…That _is_ the perfect name." Leo commented.

"Well… wait until Sensei sees." Raph added, looking back at the car.

"Hey, guys." Casey's voice chimed in.

The Turtles turned to see Casey casually standing in the doorway of Donnie's lab.

"Hey, Casey." Raph said.

"What's up, dude?" Mikey asked.

"Nothing much. Just wanted to see what you were up to. Whoa, what's that?" Casey asked as he spotted the Rat Attack.

"It's a gift for Master Splinter. Mikey calls it the Rat Attack." Leo answered.

"That is so cool!" The young man exclaimed. "Wait until Splinter sees."

"Yeah, I hope he likes it. Hey. Speaking of which, where is Sensei?" Donnie asked.

"He's probably in the dojo. I'll go get him." Mikey offered as he exited the lab.

"Sure thing, little bro." Raph said.

Mikey went into the dojo, only to find Master Splinter and April trying to dance. He suppressed his laughter as he watched.

"And one, two, three. One, two, three." April instructed. "You're getting better, I'll give you that."

"Uh, guys?" Mikey asked.

April and Splinter froze to see the orange-masked turtle standing in the doorway.

"Yes, Michelangelo?" Splinter asked, clearing his throat.

"Donnie wants to show you something in his lab, Sensei." Mikey answered as he left.

Splinter remained silent, regained his composure, and followed his youngest son to the laboratory, April followed close behind. When he saw the Rat Attack, he didn't know what to say. He stroked his beard in thought.

"What do you think, Sensei?" Donnie asked.

"Hmmmm… very interesting, Donatello." Splinter answered. "But why would you make this for me?"

"I just thought you might need it, in case of an emergency. You wanna give it a test run? To see if it works?"

"…Very well. Just one test. But I must warn you, I have not driven a car in years so I might be a little rusty, as they say."

"It's okay. Just do your best."

Splinter reluctantly climbed into the vehicle and buckled up.

"The ignition is right here." Donnie pointed to the button next to the steering wheel.

Splinter raised an eyebrow and pushed the button, which made the engine roar to life.

"And don't worry." Donnie ran over to his computer and typed something; a small tablet-sized screen on the dashboard flashed to life and an image of the purple-masked turtle appeared. "The guys and I will be with you the whole time, telling you which buttons and switches do what and how fast you'd be going. Okay?"

"…okay."

"Are you ready?"

The door leading out to the subway suddenly flew open and Splinter got himself ready. He took a deep breath and placed his hands on the steering wheel.

"As ready as I will ever be, my sons." He replied.

"Okie-dokie. On your mark, get set… GO!"

Splinter stepped down on the gas pedal and the Rat Attack sped out of the laboratory and through the tunnel. The turtles, April, and Casey stared at the doorway as their Sensei and the Rat Attack vanished from view.

"He'll be fine." Casey said.

0-0-0-0-0-0

"What has gotten into you, Luna?" Celestia demanded; she was sitting on her bed while her sister was pacing the floor of their room.

"_Me_? What's gotten into YOU, dear sister?" Luna asked accusingly. "Why are you so invested in this random guy? I mean, YOU JUST MET! And you barely know _anything_ about him!"

"Ugh, I just don't get it! Why do you dislike Yoshi so much?! You've never even met him!"

"I don't have to! Men from this city are all the same! They're all arrogant, egotistical, untrustworthy brutes only out for themselves."

"Hamato Yoshi is NOTHING like that! He's smart, he's funny, he's wise, he's kind, AND he's a family man."

"Family man?"

"He has five children, four sons and a daughter."

"Then… where is his _wife_? Hmmmm?"

"His… wife?" Celestia paused.

Suddenly, a very loud and abrupt noise came from outside, it caused the sisters to jump and run to the balcony to see what was going on. Celestia was shocked to see a car she didn't recognize jumping over the rooftops and screech to a halt on the roof closest to the hotel. And she was even more shocked to see Master Splinter at the wheel; he was breathing heavily and had a tiny glint of terror in his eyes. It was rather dark out, but she could still tell it was him.

"Yoshi, are you okay?" Celestia called out.

"THAT'S Yoshi?" Luna hissed in shock.

"I am fine, Celestia. I was taking my new vehicle out for a test drive and I suppose I got a little carried away… literally." Yoshi answered.

Celestia giggled.

"I also wanted to tell you… I will see you at the party on Friday."

"You're going?"

"It is worth a try. I shall see you then, Celestia."

"Until then, Hamato Yoshi."

They waved at each other before Splinter drove off in another direction. Luna stared at her sister with wide eyes.

"You invited him to the masquerade party?" She asked.

"So what if I did?" Celestia argued, going back into the room. "Though I am a little confused as why he didn't call."

"You gave him your number?!" Luna stormed inside.

"Of course. How else are he and I supposed to stay in touch?" Celestia closed the balcony doors behind her.


	8. Preparations

Back at the Lair, Splinter told the Turtles, April, and Casey everything he said to Celestia that very day.

"So… that's it? You're really going to this party?" Leo asked.

"Indeed I am, Leonardo." Splinter replied.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Sensei?" April asked.

"Yes, April. Celestia said everyone there will be in costume."

"Well… I think it's a good idea." Mikey chimed in.

"You _do_?" His brothers, Casey, and April exclaimed.

"Yeah. And I think it's nice that Sensei is dating again. I mean, it _has_ been almost twenty years."

April, Leo, Raph, Donnie, and Casey all looked at each other before turning to look at Splinter who was giving his youngest a smile.

"…I think Mikey might be _right_." Donnie commented.

"But what about Karai?" Leo asked.

"Yeah, I'm not so sure she's gonna be so keen on the idea of Splinter dating someone else." Casey added.

"But… you _do_ seem pretty happy, Sensei." Raph told his father.

"I am, Raphael. I do not think I've ever been so happy." Splinter replied.

Casey stood up. "Well Splinter, if you're really gonna go to this party, you're gonna need some new threads."

"What is wrong with the clothes I have now?" Splinter asked.

"It's a formal occasion, isn't it?"

"Yes, but…"

"Then you'll need a new outfit. And no offense, but I don't think these old robes are gonna cut it. But luckily, Casey Jones is on the job." He winked.

"And we're going to need to speed up your dance lessons, Sensei." April added, standing up. "But don't worry. By the time I'm done with you, you and Celestia will be locking lips by the end of the night."

The Turtles all gagged in response. Splinter blushed furiously and blinked a few times, unsure of what to make of this.

0-0-0-0-0-0

"I still cannot believe you invited that… that _thing_ to the masquerade party." Luna ranted.

"I wanted to see him again before we leave on Sunday." Celestia argued.

"Can't imagine why you'd want to see him."

"Luna, how can you say those things? I like Yoshi and he likes me. The least you can do is try to support us."

"Why should I? He'll just break your heart and leave, just like _Sombra_."

Celestia froze at the mention of that name. "You know perfectly well that is NOT what happened! I just want to be happy and right now, I feel happy with _Yoshi_."

"He's practically a _monster_!"

"I don't care what he looks like; he's more human than any other man I've met in this city. After all these years, I've finally found someone new and all _you've_ been doing was judging him, pushing him away, and trying to keep us apart. What kind of sister does that?"

Luna narrowed her eyes and opened her mouth to speak before she paused and looked at her sister who was giving her a dark glare, waiting for an answer. Luna sighed.

"You _really_ want to do this, huh?" She asked.

"Yes." Celestia answered, mildly calming down.

"If you really want to do this… then you need something to wear."

"What?" Celestia's eyes widened.

"You heard me. You need a new dress."

"What's wrong with the one I have already?"

Luna picked up a short pale green dress and held it up with disgust. "Because _this_ won't do." She tossed the dress onto the bed, grabbed her sister's hand and headed for the door. "Hold on, big sister; I am gonna make this happen."

Celestia reluctantly picked up her purse before they both walked out the door.

0-0-0-0-0-0

It was Friday. The party was that night and Splinter had spent the past few days preparing for it… with the help of his students. And after a few dance lessons and fittings for somewhat uncomfortable suits, he was finally ready. He wore a dark red tuxedo with a clean white shirt underneath, a black bow tie, and a pair of large black shoes. The shoes themselves weren't very comfortable, but Splinter has been through far worse than tight clothes and pinchy shoes.

"Whoa, Sensei, you look great." Donnie commented.

"Yeah, looking pretty sharp." Raph added with a thumbs up.

"I think you're ready." Leo chimed in.

"Thank you, my sons." Splinter said before turning to Casey; he adjusted the collar of his shirt. "But if I may ask, Casey… where and how did you acquire these clothes?"

"The thrift store over on 3rd Street. You can find almost anything there." Casey answered.

"And how is he supposed to fit any weapons in those tiny pockets?" Mikey asked.

"Mikey, it's a _party_. Sensei doesn't need weapons." April replied.

"But what if something bad happens?" Mikey asked.

"C'mon, Mikey; what could possibly happen?" Casey scoffed.

"April and Casey are right, Michelangelo." Splinter said before heading into the dojo; he picked up a few things from the weapons rack. "But just in case something _does_ happen, I will at least take a small Butterfly Knife and a few throwing stars."

He carefully put the weapons into his pockets along with a T-Phone and headed towards Donnie's lab. The garage door was already open.

"Have a good time, Sensei." Leo said as his father climbed into the Rat Attack.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do." Raph added.

"Tell us everything once you get back." Donnie chimed in.

"Have fun!" Mikey finished.

"Thank you, my sons. I will be back late." Splinter said before starting his car and driving out of the lab.

0-0-0-0-0-0

"Are you sure about this, Luna?" Celestia asked as she looked at her reflection in the bathroom mirror.

"Come on, Rarity always said pinks and magentas were your colors anyway." Luna commented as she adjusted her mask.

"Yeah, but… but I'm just not sure."

"Come on, the party will start soon. Let me see you already."

After a minute, Celestia exited the bathroom and stood in front of her sister wearing a dress in various shades of magenta and pink with golden accents and suns printed on the skirt. She had matching shoes and a mask that seemed to be made of a golden metal with matching golden ribbons.

"You look fantastic." Luna said with a smile.

"I wonder if Yoshi will like it." Celestia commented.

"Who cares what he thinks? For now, focus on you. Everything will be fine." Luna checked her watch. "Oh man! We'll be late! Let's go, go, go!"

They both headed out the door and went down to the plaza where the party was taking place.


	9. At the Party

As Splinter approached the hotel, he grew more and more nervous. This is the first time he's been to a social gathering in almost twenty years; he had no idea what to say or do. What if someone called him out? What if he was exposed? He pulled up to the entrance and got out just as a hotel employee came up to him. The young boy paused and they stared at one another before for the boy finally spoke.

"Wow, great mask." He said politely.

"Um… thank you." Splinter said, trying to sound calm.

"You're here for the masquerade party?"

"I am."

"Good. It's right inside; the ballroom is the first door to the right. And don't worry; I'll park your car for you."

"Thank you." Splinter was just about to walk in when the employee climbed into the car.

"Excuse me, sir? But where's the key?" He asked.

"There is no key. The ignition is a little button on the right side of the steering wheel. Be careful. It can be a little touchy." Splinter said, adjusting his tie and walking inside.

The boy nodded, gently pushed the button, and carefully drove off to find a parking spot.

'I am doing this for Celestia. I am doing this for Celestia. I am doing this for Celestia.' Splinter told himself as he walked through the halls of the hotel.

He stopped at the first door to his right; there was a guard standing there and the mutant froze. The guard examined Splinter for a moment before handing him a simple black eye mask.

"Go on ahead, sir." The guard said as he granted Splinter passage. "And by the way, great mask and makeup."

"Thank you." Splinter quickly said as he entered the ballroom; he put on the mask, hoping it would help conceal his true identity.

The room was filled with all kinds of people wearing masks. Splinter gulped and looked around, hoping to catch a glimpse of Celestia but he couldn't see her for some reason. It shouldn't be that hard to find her; her long flowing hair should be pretty easy to spot. He decided to walk around and look for her. As he walked, quite a few people complimented him and commented on his "costume". He politely thanked them and continued his search.

As Splinter searched, he didn't even notice Celestia and Luna walk in. Celestia adjusted her mask and looked around, hoping to find a trace of Splinter.

"Face it; he's not going to show." Luna muttered, folding her arms.

"No, Luna. I know he will. Why would he lie?" Celestia retorted. "Let's look around some more." She started to walk away; Luna rolled her eyes and followed after her sister.

After a minute or so, Splinter finally spotted the pastel colors of a sunrise; he smiled and approached. He stopped and casually cleared his throat before Celestia turned around to face him. She grinned and gave him a hug.

"Yoshi, you made it!" Celestia exclaimed.

"Of course! I would not miss this for the world." Splinter said before glancing at Luna. They parted. "And this must be your sister."

"Oh, yes. You two haven't been properly introduced. Luna, this is Hamato Yoshi. And Yoshi, this is my younger sister Luna." Celestia said, turning to look at her sister.

Splinter politely smiled and offered his hand to her. "I have heard a lot about you, Luna. It is a pleasure to finally meet you."

Luna gave him a smirk before reluctantly shaking his hand. "Charmed."

"I told you he'd come." Celestia joked.

Luna just remained silent and rolled her eyes again before she walked away to mingle with a few other people, leaving Splinter and Celestia alone. They turned to look out at the rest of the party; more people were gradually arriving.

"So… this is what an _adult_ party looks like." Splinter commented.

"Yeah… it's no big deal, really." Celestia added.

"You go to parties often?"

"Sometimes, but they're usually not that exciting."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It's probably because I wasn't with the right crowd… or I haven't found the right person." She took his hand in her own; he gave her a smile.

"You look very beautiful tonight."

"Thank you. You look great, too. Where did you even get that tux?"

"A friend has given me these clothes. But I must admit that it has been a long time since I have worn actual _shoes_ and _pants_. Almost two decades, in fact." He gently tugged on the collar of his shirt again.

"Wow."

"Yes… You know, pink is a very flattering color on you."

"Thanks. Rarity thinks the same thing."

"And this Rarity is another one of your students?"

"Mmhmm. She and the rest of the Rainbooms are always up to something, either playing a new gig or saving the school from total destruction."

"The _Rainbooms_?"

"A band they formed not too long ago. Rarity is on keytar, Twilight is lead vocals, Fluttershy is on tambourine, Rainbow Dash and Sunset Shimmer are both on guitar, Applejack is on bass, and Pinkie Pie is on the drums."

Celestia took her cell phone out of her purse and opened up a video of the Rainbooms playing their most recent gig. She showed the video to Splinter and he couldn't help but bob his head along with the song. He was so focused on the music that he didn't even notice the girls in the video seem to grow pony ears, longer hair, and even a few pairs of wings.

"Wow, they are _very_ good." He commented.

"Yeah, they're all so talented." Celestia said as the video ended; she put her phone back in her purse.

"I wonder if these Rainbooms would get along with my sons."

"What makes you say that?"

"I'm not sure. For some reason, I sense that they could all become good friends."

"Well, you can never have enough friends."

"Outta my way! Coming through, coming through!" A loud male voice yelled.

Celestia and Splinter looked to see a very fat man in a suit followed by two other suited men enter the room and walk over to the buffet table. He then pulled up a chair and started to devour anything and everything in sight; everyone else could only awkwardly stare in shock and disgust, especially Splinter and Celestia.

"Who is THAT?" Celestia asked.

"I am not certain, but I believe that is a gentleman named Don Vizioso. According to my sons, he is a gangster of a sort, almost part of a mafia if you will." Splinter answered.

"Oh, I get it. But… does he _always_ eat like a pig?"

"From what I heard…yes. All the time."

"Sheesh. Is he even _chewing_?"

"No clue."

"I would say that his eyes are bigger than his stomach, but I guess for _him_, it's the other way around."

They both laughed under their breath.

"I am just curious as to what he is doing here." Splinter muttered.

"Me too. I'm pretty sure he wasn't on the guest list. He's not even wearing a mask." Celestia added.

Vizioso then shoved a whole plate of spaghetti into his mouth, which made Celestia and Splinter cringe in disgust at the sight.

"I think I just lost my appetite." Celestia whispered.

"Me too." Splinter hissed.

"Check, check, check. Is this thing on?" An unfamiliar voice said through the loudspeakers.

Everyone turned their heads to look at the stage at the front of the room and Dr. Warren from the academic meeting a few nights ago was standing right smack in the middle. He was dressed in a sleek black tuxedo with a bright red necktie and he was holding a microphone.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen." He said. "I just wanted to say thank you all for coming to this special little get together tonight."

Everyone politely clapped their hands, even Vizioso who was still eating.

"Now that everyone is finally here, let's all have a good time." Warren said as music started to play.

People made their way to the dance floor and started to dance; it was a song Splinter had never heard before, but it was very beautiful. Splinter felt his hand being gently squeezed; he looked to see Celestia holding it.

"I love this song. Would you like to dance?" She asked.

"Oh, um… I'd love to." He said before she led him to the dance floor.

She took his hand in her own, put her free hand on his shoulder, and Splinter reluctantly put his other hand to her hip. They began to slowly sway to the rhythm; everyone else around them was already in a waltz. Celestia quickly noticed that Splinter seemed a little nervous and she gave him a sympathetic look.

"Is everything okay?" She whispered.

"I-I'm sorry, Celestia." Splinter answered. "I do not mean to seem out of it, as it were. But the truth is… I don't dance much. And I feel as though everyone is looking at us."

"It's fine. Don't focus on everything around you. Just… focus on _me_, okay?" She lifted his chin ever so slightly and gave him a kind smile; he smiled back.

As they continued to dance, a few other people moved out of their way to give them more room. From where he was sitting, Don Vizioso paused and watched Splinter and Celestia dance.

"Who's that woman dancing with?" He asked one of his bodyguards.

"I don't know, boss." The guard whispered.

"He seems familiar. I want you to find out everything you can about him." Vizioso told them.

"Yes sir." The guards said as the song ended.

Everyone clapped, including Splinter and Celestia.

"Well, that was not as horrible as I thought." Splinter said.

Celestia giggled. "Since the buffet table is already kind of occupied, what do you say we go out for a bit? I saw an ice cream parlor somewhere up the road."

"I'm fine with ice cream. Lead the way."

Celestia took Splinter's arm and they headed towards the exit, with one of Vizioso's guards following behind them.


	10. Stories

"They _didn't_." Celestia said in disbelief.

"No, they _did_." Splinter replied with a laugh.

The two adults were eating their ice cream and exchanging hilarious stories while sitting on the roof of a nearby apartment building. Splinter just told Celestia about the time his sons attempted to perform a skateboarding stunt inside.

"Michelangelo was about to jump over his brothers when I came in. However, he failed and crashed right into them." He explained, spooning some vanilla ice cream into his mouth.

"But did anyone get hurt?" Celestia asked, giving her strawberry cone a lick.

"No, but I grounded all four of them for a week. Unfortunately, that did not stop them from going out while I was asleep."

"And I assume they got into even _more_ trouble?"

"In a way, yes."

"That story almost reminds me of something that happened in my childhood. When I was little, Luna and I attempted to bake a cake together. But the cake itself didn't turn out so well; it was probably the _ugliest_ thing I have ever seen, even if I didn't realize it at the time. I thought it was a great accomplishment when I was about six, but looking back on it now… it still makes me laugh _and_ feel a little sick at the same time."

"Sick?"

"Yeah. Luna and I were either brave enough or too naïve to actually _eat_ that cake and we _both_ ended up bed ridden for days with terrible stomach aches."

Splinter laughed, Celestia giggled.

"You seem to be very close with your sister." Splinter commented.

"Yeah… but it wasn't always like that." Celestia admitted.

"What do you mean?"

"Well… when Luna and I were in school, it was kind of hard. We were born about three years apart, so when I was already a senior in high school, she was still a freshman. Not only was I the student-body president _and_ valedictorian, I was also one of the most popular girls in school. But I didn't care about popularity; all I wanted was to help others and I was basically friends with almost everyone… which made Luna jealous."

Splinter froze at the word 'jealous'. Jealousy can make people do some pretty crazy things with even worse consequences.

Celestia continued. "Being the younger sister, I guess that was to be expected. She felt overshadowed by me because no matter what good thing she did, she felt it was nothing compared to what _I_ did. Some students didn't even know Luna was my own sister. So instead of earning CHS's love and attention, she pushed for it."

"What did she do?"

"All sorts of bad things. Skipping class, bullying, loitering; you name it, she did it. Almost overnight, Luna became the fiercest, scariest delinquent CHS has ever seen… which gave her the nickname: "Nightmare Moon". She even had a new look that matched; shorter hair, darker makeup, dark clothes, and even a piercing or two." She shuddered. "Still gives me a shiver. Anyway, I was so busy with other things that it took a while for me to realize her behavior. I eventually confronted her about it… and we had a huge fight. The whole thing was kind of a blur, but I remember a lot of yelling and crying. But then I remember Luna charging towards me, us falling down, and everything fading to black. The next thing I knew, I was in the hospital with a broken arm and a minor concussion. My parents told me that Luna and I had fallen down the stairs during our fight; I was knocked unconscious and was in a coma for a day or two. Luna then came to me and apologized for what she did, but I apologized to her soon after and I promised to help her turn her life around. And that's exactly what we did. Luna gained some new friends, joined a few clubs, and eventually she was pretty popular around school. And by the time I graduated, she was already planning her campaign for student-body president."

"Wow."

"Yeah…"

"…Is there more?"

"More what?"

"More to your story. I do not mean to pry, but you seem troubled… like at the docks the other night. Was this the past you had mentioned?"

Celestia stayed quiet for a moment before letting out a sigh. "No _and_ yes. What happened in high school was only the first half of my story. The other half was something that happened years later… and it was probably the darkest point of my entire life."

Splinter put his hand on her knee. "Don't worry, I am here to listen. I will not judge, I promise."

She reluctantly put her hand on his and gave him a smile. "Okay." She took a deep breath and began. "It started when I met my husband in college."

'Husband?' He thought, his eyes wide with surprise.

"His name was Sombra." She explained as she took an old photo out of her purse; it was a younger version of herself and a young man with gray skin, green eyes, and blue and black hair; it was a picture of their wedding day. "We had a few classes together, and we immediately hit it off. We slowly started to become best friends, and then we became boyfriend and girlfriend… But I wasn't the only one who loved Sombra. There was someone else competing for his attention. Her name Abacus Cinch and at the time, she was already the principal of Crystal Prep Academy, a rivaling high school of Canterlot High. Cinch and I were rivals in basically everything; academia, sports, anything. We even fell in love with the same man… but Sombra chose _me_. And Cinch refused to accept it; she was always one to hold a grudge."

Splinter listened to every word of Celestia's story, it reminded him so much of his own past back in Japan.

"So on our graduation day, Sombra surprised me by proposing to me in front of everyone. I, of course, said yes; we were married and we moved into a house together. It's weird; even after all this time, I still get the warm fuzzies." She went on. "A few years went by and I discovered I was pregnant. Sombra and I excited; I always wanted to be a mother. But one day while I was in my final trimester, Cinch approached my home and out of nowhere, she started insulting me in front of Sombra. She called me so many hurtful things and I felt I couldn't let those insults go unanswered. I lost my temper and I started to yell at her, telling her that if she didn't get off my lawn at that moment then I would call the police. Sombra calmed me down and Cinch left, not saying another word." She let out a sigh. "I didn't know where those insults came from or why she said those awful things at the time, but now I realize that her own jealousy got the better of her and she wanted what I had. She sought at which was mine. Then a few weeks later, my son was born. He was beautiful, a spitting image of his father. We named him Eclipse. And from that moment on, everything was perfect… and then that moment ended."

Splinter's eyes widened; he already knew where this was going. "…What happened?"

"It happened when Eclipse was still a baby; his first birthday was in a few days. I was standing on the porch looking up at the night sky… when Cinch came back." Celestia frowned and looked away from Splinter. "She started to yell at me again, saying that I took everything from her and that I would pay for it. Then I saw what she was holding in her right hand… it was a knife." She gulped. "I was terrified; sure we were rivals, but I didn't think she would actually try to hurt me. I tried my best to reason with her, but she wasn't having any of it. Then she attacked me; I ran inside the house and used a fire poker to hold her off. Then I heard Eclipse crying. I looked and saw Sombra staring at me with wide eyes, he was holding our baby. Cinch kept on attacking me, but then when I was thrown against the wall, she smiled a deranged grin, raised her knife, and brought it down… but the blade didn't strike me. The knife struck _Sombra_ instead. He stepped in the way to save me and try to stop the fight, but it was all in vain. He fell to the floor like a marionette with its strings suddenly cut. I held Sombra's body in my arms, hoping that he was okay… but he wasn't okay at all."

Splinter froze as Celestia started to cry.

"And just when I thought things couldn't get any worse, the smell of smoke filled the air. I realized that during our struggle, Cinch knocked over a burning candle and one of the drapes had caught on fire. Then… she left, but not before giving me one last look. It was probably the darkest glare she had ever given me. Then I remembered Eclipse; I ran over to my son as fast as I could and picked him, but he wasn't responding. Thinking fast, I ran out of my burning house. Luckily, one of our neighbors heard the commotion and saw the fire. But the police and fire department didn't get to us fast enough. By the time they arrived, my house had already burned to ground, Sombra was gone… and so was my son."

More tears fell from Celestia's eyes.

"I practically lost everything that day. My love, my family… my home. Then Luna arrived. I told her everything that happened and I broke down in tears right there. She was all I had left now, and I promised myself that I would never let her or anyone else go, no matter what."

She wiped her eyes and let out a sigh.

"That's horrible, I am so sorry." Splinter said in shock.

"No, don't be. You weren't there when it happened."

He paused. "…I had an experience just like that while I was in Japan."

Celestia shot up and looked at Splinter with wide eyes. "You did?"

"Yes, many years ago when I was still human."

"You mean you weren't always like this?"

"No. I was human, just like everyone else. I lived in Japan with my friend, Oroku Saki. He and I had trained in the same Ninja Clan and we were like brothers, and just like you and Cinch we were also rivals in everything. But that rivalry grew bitter when we met… Tang Shen. We both fell for her, but she chose _me_ and Saki could not accept it. One night, when my daughter, Miwa, was only a year old, Saki came to my home and challenged me to a duel. So we fought. While he could not defeat me, my world fell and crumbled around me, as that battle took the life of my beloved Tang Shen… and in the chaos, Saki even took Miwa away from me and raised her as his own. I've lost many things that day, my family, my home, my name…"

Celestia's eyes widened. "Oh my gosh…"

"But that was when I decided to flee Japan and start a new life in a new country. It was fine… until one day."

"What happened?" Celestia scooted closer to her companion.

"One day, I was leaving the pet store with four baby turtles. While I was walking, I passed a strange man on the street. Something felt off about him, so I decided to follow… only to have my curiosity undermined. They attacked me, but in the struggle that followed, my turtles and I were exposed to a strange glowing substance, changing us forever. And that was the beginning of our life together; in a way, that substance gave birth to us all."

'Glowing substance? Could Yoshi's transformation have been the work of Equestrian Magic?' Celestia asked herself before another thought popped into her head.

She remembered an event that happened years ago, when she was still pregnant with her son. It was her very first time in New York City with her husband. But then her thoughts were interrupted; there was a commotion coming from the hotel.

"What was that?" She asked.

"Something is wrong. Come on." Splinter said, taking Celestia's hand.

They made their way back down to the ground and ran back to the hotel, only to see three gigantic animals attacking. One of them was a red fish with robotic legs, another looked like a large dog made of razor blades, and the last one was an anthropomorphic tiger with one eye. Splinter and Celestia froze.

"Oh no…" Splinter muttered when the three mutants turned to face him. They grinned maliciously at him.


	11. Unwelcome Guests

"Ah. Fancy seeing _you_ here, Yoshi San." The tiger said.

"Ha! Nice monkey suit, Splinter." The dog creature mocked.

"What are you doing here?" Splinter demanded, narrowing his eyes and keeping his arm in front of Celestia.

"Vizioso informed us that you'd be here tonight." The fish answered.

"So you come to ruin my _date_?" Splinter asked.

"We only came here to finish you off. For Master Shredder." The tiger said, taking out a sword.

"This is bad, isn't it?" Celestia muttered.

"Stay behind me."

"Oh, and what have we here?" The fish asked as he slinked over to her. "Is _this_ your date, Splinter? She's a real beauty, isn't she?"

Celestia yelped and backed away before Splinter punched the mutant fish clean in the jaw as hard as he could, which caused the fish to fly a few feet away and collide into a wall.

"Leave her be, Fishface!" He demanded.

"His name is _Fishface_?" Celestia asked with a chuckle.

"It was Michelangelo's idea. He also gave _him_ the name Dogpound, then Rahzar." Splinter answered, pointing a finger at the dog creature.

"Enough talk! Tonight, we fight!" The tiger declared, charging towards Splinter.

Celestia and Splinter quickly jumped out of the way before the sword could strike either of them. They crouched down and hid underneath a table.

"What are we going to do?" Celestia whispered.

"You need to stay here and hide. I can handle them." Splinter answered.

"But you're outnumbered."

"I have beaten them before. Do not worry. Just stay here and out of the way. I will take care of this." He dug into his pocket and took out the Butterfly Knife and the throwing stars; he put them into Celestia's hand. "Take these, just in case."

"But what—"

Before Celestia could even finish her next sentence, Splinter took off his shoes, tore off his tie, got out from under the table, and started to fight the three mutants. Celestia watched in awe; she had never seen combat like this before. She then felt the tablecloth shift; she turned and saw that it was her sister.

"Luna! You're okay!" Celestia quietly cheered.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Luna said. "But what I really want to know right now is what's going on with your date. What is he doing?"

"Trying to protect us." Celestia then spotted Splinter's shoes on the floor next to her and got an idea; she picked them up.

Splinter was dodging every single one of the oncoming attacks until Fishface kicked him hard in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him and making him fall to his knees. Tiger Claw, Rahzar, and Fishface stood above him with smug looks on their faces.

"That's it. You lose, rat." Tiger Claw scoffed.

"Stay away from him!" Celestia's voice yelled.

The four mutants turned their heads to see Celestia standing on the table with the Butterfly knife in one hand and her other hand clutched tightly into a fist. Fishface, Rahzar, and Tiger Claw paused, then laughed at her.

"You have got to be kidding." Fishface chortled.

"What are _you_ gonna do?" Rahzar taunted.

"Get her!" Tiger Claw shouted before he and his companions charged towards her.

"Celestia, no!" Splinter shouted.

At that moment, Celestia jumped into the air as high as possible and kicked Tiger Claw in the face as hard as she could just as she threw the Butterfly Knife at Rahzar. Then she ran in a different direction before Fishface started to chase after her. Luna then emerged from under the table and threw something at the mutant fish, Splinter's shoes tied together. They hit him hard in the chest; he slowly turned his head to glare at her.

"You will pay for that!" He snarled before running in her direction.

In a mild panic, Luna ran in a different direction, hopping on tables and chairs trying to get away from the scaly mutant.

"Do not fear." Splinter said. "To a ninja, _anything_ can be a weapon. Use what you can get your hands on!"

Celestia nodded and picked up a microphone stand from the stage while Luna picked up some empty metal trays from the buffet table. As they fought, Dr. Warren could only watch in terror from behind the loud speakers.

"This is a total disaster." He muttered. "Everything is ruined… all because of those _freaks_." His eyes shifted to Splinter and Celestia who were fighting off Tiger Claw together; his eyes narrowed in anger. "…All because of _him_."

"Hey." A deep, craggily voice from behind him said.

Warren froze and reluctantly turned around to see Rahzar standing over him with a wicked smile on his face. Warren's eyes widened in horror.

"Uh… hi." He said before he was lifted off the ground.

"You're the host of this party, right?" Rahzar asked.

"Well, not exactly. More like a supervisor of a sort, you know." Warren said, trying to remain calm.

"Perfect."

"…Why don't I like the sound of that?"

Celestia and Splinter were so focused on Tiger Claw that they didn't even notice Rahzar running away with Dr. Warren in his sharp grasp. However, Luna noticed; she kicked the mutant fish off of her and ran out of the ballroom to Warren's rescue.

"Hey! Put me down! Put me down, whatever you are!" Warren demanded.

"Let him go!" Luna shouted as she ran after him.

"Ugh, another one?" Rahzar groaned before Luna hit him in the face with a sign.

"Warren, run! Get help! I'll take care of this guy." She said, trying to sound confident.

"Are you kidding me, Luna? This thing is practically TWICE your size!" Warren objected.

"So? I've faced worse things than this, believe it or not. I can fight just fine!"

"We'll see about that." Rahzar taunted as he charged at her with a claw raised.

Luna dodged Rahzar's sharp claws and fangs as best as she could until he finally cut her arm and threw her against the wall. Rahzar turned back to Warren and picked him back up.

"…Nice move." Warren said.

"Thanks." The mutant said.

"Just one question… what are you supposed to be anyway? A dog, a man, a mandog? What's the deal with you?"

"Do you always talk this fast, pal?"

"Some days are better than others."

The last thing Luna saw before slipping into unconsciousness was Rahzar running away with Dr. Warren. Then she felt her shoulder being shaken; she slowly opened her eyes to see her older sister standing over her in her pajamas with a worried look on her face.

"Luna, are you okay?" Celestia asked.

"What-huh…?" Luna said groggily, sitting up; she realized that she was in her hotel room bed with bandages wrapped around her arm where Rahzar had cut her. "What happened? Where are the other mutants? …Where's Yoshi?"

"Yoshi… left not too long ago. And the other mutants got away." Celestia replied before giving her sister a hug. "I'm just so happy to know that you're okay. I'm so sorry."

"What for? You didn't tell those monsters to come here."

"But… they came because of Yoshi. He knew them already; they must work for Saki."

"Who?"

"Uh… never mind. I'll explain later. Right now, I just want to get some sleep. We've _all_ had a long night."

"Okay, sure… but wait. Where's Dr. Warren?"

"Warren?"

"Yes. The last time I saw him… that giant dog thing ran off with him!"

"What? Well, don't worry. I've already called the police and told them about those creatures that attacked us. I hope they find them, and Warren."

"And you didn't tell them about Yoshi?"

"He did nothing wrong, Luna. He tried to _protect_ us, for Pete's sake. Why can't you just try to accept him?"

Luna remained quiet and looked at her arm before lying back down in bed; she turned away from the window. Before turning off the light, Celestia looked at the balcony to see Splinter standing there. He gave her a sad smile before disappearing into the night. She quietly sighed and laid down in bed.

0-0-0-0-0-0

"I still say this is a bad idea." Fishface said to Rahzar.

"Look, I know it's risky, but this guy could be of use to us." Rahzar retorted.

"You do know I'm standing right here, right?" Warren said as he and the two mutants stood outside the door leading to a dark bedroom.

"Master Shredder wishes to see you." Tiger Claw said to Warren, emerging from the doorway.

Gulping and taking a deep breath, Warren stepped into the room and stood in front of the bed. The Shredder himself was laying in it; he was hooked up to some kind of strange machine.

"Identify yourself." The Shredder said weakly.

"Uh… my name is Howard Warren and I was just kidnapped from a party by your little friends here." Warren said.

"Bradford has told me you have grown to dislike Hamato Yoshi."

"You mean that guy in the rat costume? Oh yeah, definitely don't like him."

"What if I told you he is not in costume?"

Warren froze. "Wait… are you saying… he's just like your mutant friends?"

"In a way, yes."

"Celestia brought a REAL MUTANT to a party? A six-foot tall, Mickey Mouse Wanna-Be?! She fell for HIM over ME?! Oh my gosh, I cannot believe this!"

"It would seem he has wronged you as well."

"Yeah… I guess he has. What's the point?"

"The point is… I say we work together, bring down Hamato Yoshi and his vile family once and for all. That way, we both get what we want. I can finally have my revenge and you can get the woman of your dreams. What do you say, Doctor Warren?"

Warren paused and scratched his chin in thought. He stood in silence for a moment before looking back at the Shredder and offering his hand to him. Shredder gladly took it.

"We have a deal." Warren said with a wicked smile.


	12. A Sign

It's been weeks since Celestia and Luna left New York City. Splinter was unable to give either of them a proper sendoff since he was preoccupied with other matters. But Celestia didn't seem to mind; she and Splinter would have conversations through phone calls almost every week while she was in Canterlot and while he was still in New York. She couldn't really text Splinter and he couldn't text back, but they were both happy with this arrangement because they would get to hear each other's voices.

Even though she tried to hide it, Celestia was growing more and more worried for Splinter's safety. After seeing what happened at the party back in New York, she couldn't help but think about what would happen to him if he encountered anymore creatures like that. But then she would remind herself that he was a trained Ninjitsu master and that he would be fine… but then she remembered Oroku Saki and she started to think about what he would be capable of and what he could to do Splinter. He could very well _kill_ him.

During that time, Celestia would have nightmares, but these nightmares weren't normal. She would see Master Splinter on top of a building; he would be fighting a huge, dark, muscled figure… and he would be losing. And just when she thought it couldn't get any worse, she would see the dark figure impale Splinter in the stomach with massive sharp blades; Splinter's face contorted in pain, shock, and horror. Then she woke up, usually in a cold sweat and breathing heavily. She would have that same dream almost every night since she returned home and her patience was running thin.

One day, she was in the middle of an important conference with the teachers of CHS when she had another vivid dream.

0-0-0-0-0-0

_Celestia was in New York City. She was standing outside an ice cream shop while her husband was catching up with a few of his friends inside. She rubbed her pregnant belly as she waited for her husband; then she heard something in a nearby alleyway. Burning with curiosity, she decided to see what was going on, only to see a struggle taking place. A large group of men in suits surrounded a man holding a small tank with four baby turtles; her eyes widened as she watched the man fight off his attackers. Then one of the suited men saw Celestia and she gasped and took a step back; he was holding a glowing green canister of some kind._

"_Go no further, woman! The scene which is known as the scene you are now witnessing is not meant to be witnessed by you! So this is not a place that will be left by you!" The man said as he reached out to grab her._

"_Leave her be!" A familiar voice shouted._

_It was the man who was fighting them off. He punched the guy in the face so hard that he fell to the ground and the canister flew out of his hands and into the air. Suddenly the canister fell and it was about to hit Celestia… before the man pushed her out of the way._

_With a loud crash, the canister landed on the man instead and it shattered on contact, covering him and his four turtles in a green glowing ooze. Luckily, none of the ooze landed on Celestia. She gazed down at the remaining ooze in disgust._

"_Eww, gross! What is that stuff?" She exclaimed before looking up at the man._

_Celestia watched in horror as the man before her transformed into a giant rat-like creature. He screamed in pain as he clothes tore from his body and the four turtles grew in size and looked more human. She gasped in shock and terror._

_The creature turned its head in her direction and gave her a terrified look; he and his turtles quickly backed away from her, going further into the alley in an attempt to hide. Feeling sorry for them, Celestia reluctantly walked towards the rat creature and held out her hand, trying to be kind. The creature looked at her hand and let out a cough._

"_Are you thirsty?" Celestia asked._

_He nervously nodded his head before she took a water bottle out of her purse and offered it to him. He backed away again._

"_It's okay, I won't hurt you." She said in a gentle voice._

_Hesitantly, the creature took the water bottle and gulped down every single drop of water left. He set the bottle down and looked at Celestia._

"…_Th-th-thank you." He said before his eyes widened in shock. "I-I do not believe it. I can still talk. How is this possible?"_

_The four turtles giggled and cooed like babies up at the rat. He looked down at them, unable to make sense of the situation._

"_Are you okay?" Celestia asked._

_After a moment, he looked back at her and nodded at her. He nervously reached out and took her outstretched hand._

"_Are _you_ alright?" He asked._

_She nodded. "I'm fine, and so is my baby." Then she felt a kick in her stomach and let out a chuckle._

_The creature curiously glanced down at Celestia's abdomen just before she gently placed his hand on the curve of her stomach. He felt the kick underneath his hand; he looked up at her again and he smiled. She smiled back at him._

_Then everything faded to black. Celestia called out for anyone, but no voice came. Then she was on a rooftop in the middle of the night. She then saw Splinter; he was fighting that massive creature again. She saw him getting beaten really bad and she couldn't bear to watch. And just when she thought things couldn't get any worse, she knew what was coming… the inevitable. But just before the monster's blades pierced through his flesh, Splinter turned his head to her and said,_

"_Watashi wa, anata o aishiteimasu."_

0-0-0-0-0-0

"YOSHI, NO!" Celestia screamed as she shot up, breathing heavily.

Everyone in the meeting room suddenly stared at her with wide eyes. Celestia stared back at them, her cheeks turning beet red. Taking a deep breath, she got up from her chair.

"I… think I need a break. I'll be back." She calmly said as she headed towards the door.

The moment she exited the room and closed the door behind her, Celestia immediately ran back to her office. She picked up her cell phone and dialed Splinter's number, but to her horror, it cut straight to voicemail.

"Oh no, no, no, no, no!" She chanted in a panic.

She then turned on her computer and opened up an online translator; she quickly typed in the Japanese phrase she heard Splinter say in her dream and was shocked to learn its true meaning.

"This can't be happening! It just _can't_ be!" She exclaimed.

"What are you doing?" Luna asked as she barged into her sister's office.

Celestia didn't say anything; she only stared at her younger sister with a dumbfounded look on her face.

"This is about Yoshi again, isn't it?" Luna asked.

"How did you know?" Celestia asked.

"You need to let it go. He's a mutant, remember?"

"I don't care if he's a mutant. Yoshi is probably the nicest mutant I've ever met."

"And you're worried he might die?"

"How did…?"

"I still don't understand how or why, but I know you've been having the same dream every night since we left New York. You need to get over it."

"I can't, Luna! Don't you understand that?! I can't get over Yoshi! I won't get over him! I just want him to be SAFE!"

Celestia then let out a massive wave of light, which caused Luna to stumble backwards. The two sisters paused and looked at each other in shock; first Luna can see other people's dreams, and now Celestia can control different forms of light? What's going on? Did they get magical powers of their own now? Then Celestia had an idea. She briskly walked out of her office.

"Where are you going?" Luna worriedly asked, trailing after her.

Celestia made her way to the courtyard.

"I'm going to save Hamato Yoshi." Celestia said before a pair of massive white wings sprouted from her back and she shot into the sky like a rocket.

"Celestia, no!" Luna screamed as the Rainbooms ran out to join her.

"Vice Principal Luna, what's going on?" Sunset Shimmer asked.

"Where's Principal Celestia going?" Twilight Sparkle asked.

"She's going to New York City." Luna replied.

"Why would she go there?" Rainbow Dash questioned.

"…We need to follow her." Luna said.

"Follow her?" Pinkie Pie asked.

"NOW!" Luna shouted.

"Applejack, we need the Rainboom bus!" Rarity said.

"Then what're we waitin' for, ya'll? Let's go!" Applejack said as she and the others ran to the school parking lot.

They all climbed into the bus, Luna made her way to the driver's seat, started the bus, and sped out of the parking lot to follow after her sister.

'Please don't do anything stupid…' She thought to herself.


	13. The Super Shredder

"Vice Principal Luna, we've been driving for _hours_ and there's still no sign of her!" Rainbow Dash whined.

Luna had driven the Rainboom bus from CHS all the way back to New York City, only occasionally stopping for gas. By the time they all arrived in New York, it was already past nightfall. The Rainbooms were getting antsy and restless, especially Rainbow Dash.

"I don't care! We're not stopping until we find my sister!" Luna shouted in frustration.

"She couldn't have gone _too_ far, right?" Pinkie Pie chimed in.

"Pinkie Pie, we're already in New York and the last time I check, this city is HUGE! She could be anywhere!" Twilight yelled.

"What if we never find her?" Rarity asked fearfully.

"Come on, guys. Think positive. I'm sure we'll find her soon." Sunset Shimmer said, trying to remain calm.

"Wait, what's that?!" Fluttershy cried in fright.

"What's what?" Luna asked.

"Stop the bus!" Applejack yelled before Luna slammed on the brakes.

The bus came to a screeching halt onto the nearest sidewalk and Luna looked up to see what the girls were looking at. She gasped and saw figures fighting each other on the roof of a building across the street. They all ran out of the bus to try and get a closer look.

"Oh my gosh! What the heck is that thing?!" Sunset shouted, spotting a large, muscled figure; it was much larger than the other ones.

"Is it another creature from Equestria?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Cause if it is, I am so ready for a good ol' fashioned smackdown!"

Luna's eyes widened in shock; she knew exactly what was going on up there. Without saying a word, she ran cross the street towards the building.

"Vice Principal Luna, wait! Where are you going?!" Spike the dog cried.

"What is she doing?" Rarity exclaimed as she saw Luna climb up the fire escape.

"We have to stop her before she gets hurt!" Rainbow Dash said, racing after her.

"Come on, ya'll! Let's go!" Applejack said as she and the other Rainbooms followed her.

One by one, each of the Rainbooms clambered up the fire escape as fast as they possibly could and when they finally reached the roof, none of them could believe what they were seeing. There were four human-sized turtles, a redheaded girl wearing a black and yellow jumpsuit, a boy dressed in all black and holding a hockey stick, and a rat the size of a man fighting a giant, hulking monster with huge claws, a disfigured skull for a face, numerous blades sticking out all over its body, and an exposed, pulsating, blue and purple heart in the middle of its chest. The creature was about to slice through one of the turtles when Rainbow Dash cried out,

"Hey! Watch out!"

She sped towards the turtle and swept him out of the way just in time.

"What?!" The creature asked in a deep, booming voice.

Rainbow Dash raced to another corner of the roof and set the turtle down; she saw that he had green eyes, a small crack in his shell, and was wearing a red mask. They stared at each other with wide eyes.

"…Thanks for the save." The turtle said.

"Sure thing." Rainbow Dash said, helping him back onto his feet. "I'm Rainbow Dash, by the way."

They shook hands. "Uh, nice to meet you. Name's Raphael. Everyone just calls me—"

"Raph! You okay, dude?" A second turtle wearing an orange mask called out.

"I'm okay, Mikey!" Raph shouted.

"YOSHI?!" Luna screamed as she saw Master Splinter.

"Luna?!" Splinter exclaimed.

"Vice Principal Luna? Do you…?" Sunset Shimmer asked before she put two and two together; she stared at Splinter in shock. "_That's_ Hamato Yoshi?!"

The rest of the Rainbooms gasped in shock.

"You know me?" Splinter asked, his eyes wide.

"Principal Celestia told us about you through a video chat." Twilight replied, adjusting her glasses.

Fluttershy dramatically gasped and ran over to Splinter; her eyes were sparkling with intrigue and excitement. "Oh my goodness! A rat as big as a human being? This is so amazing!" She put her hands on his shoulders and grinned up at him. "Tell me, what are you thinking right now?!"

"Um… not letting anyone die tonight?" Splinter stuttered.

"Fair enough." Fluttershy commented.

"Enough!" The bladed monster yelled.

Everything went quiet as everyone turned their attention to the hulking beast. It turned its head towards Splinter and Luna and let out a wicked chuckle; it pointed a finger at them.

"So… _you_ are Luna?" It asked.

"Leave her be, Shredder." Splinter said, standing in front of Luna.

"H-How do you know me?" Luna asked nervously.

"I have my ways." The Shredder answered. "I also know of _Celestia_."

Splinter and Luna tensed up at the mention of that name.

"Where is my sister?! What have you done with her?" Luna demanded, scowling at the Super Shredder.

"Nothing, nothing at all… compared to what I am going to do to _you_, rat!" Shredder yelled, charging at Splinter. He raised his bladed fist as Splinter pushed Luna to safety.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" A familiar voice roared.

Suddenly a huge beam of hot, white light shot at the Shredder's chest, causing him to fall back and scream in pain and shock.

"Agh! Hot, hot, hot! Hot, so hot!" He shouted, clutching his chest.

Everyone turned their heads in the direction of the voice and they saw Principal Celestia standing on top of a nearby water tank.

"Celestia?!" Luna and Splinter exclaimed.

"Principal Celestia, you're okay!" Sunset cried.

Celestia jumped down to the roof and ran over to Splinter with a worried look on her face.

"Yoshi, are you okay?" She asked.

Splinter held her hands in his own. "Yes, I'm fine."

"Thank goodness."

They hugged.

Shredder staggered to his feet and let out a wicked chuckle the moment he saw Celestia standing with Splinter. "My, my, my, Celestia. What a beauty you are. At last, we meet in person. I have heard so much about you."

Splinter pushed Celestia behind him to protect her. "Stay away from her, Saki."

Celestia's eyes widened in shock. "THAT'S Oroku Saki?!"

"Ah, I see you have heard of me as well. What other lies has this wretched monster told you about me?" The Shredder said.

"Hamato Yoshi is _not_ a monster! If anything, he's more human than YOU will ever be!" Celestia yelled.

"Yeesh, especially right now." Rarity muttered.

"SILENCE!" Shredder yelled, tossing one of the turtles at her.

"Leonardo!" Splinter screamed.

Both Rarity and the turtle in the blue mask screamed before Rarity summoned a diamond shield. The turtle slammed right into it, nearly knocking Rarity over. Applejack quickly ran over to her friend's aid. They looked at the turtle and helped him to his feet.

"You okay, partner?" Applejack asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks." The turtle answered; he turned to Rarity. "One question: where did that shield even come from?"

"Um, perhaps I should explain that later… if there even _is_ a later." Rarity replied, nervously looking at the Shredder.

"Leo! What do we do?" Raph called.

"First and foremost…" Leo turned to the two girls in front of him. "You and your friends need to leave, NOW. It's too dangerous."

Applejack scoffed. "Say what?! We ain't leavin' nobody behind, 'specially not now!"

"AJ's right! Come on, girl! We can take this thing on!" Rainbow Dash said.

"Are you kidding?! You can't fight him! He'll destroy you!" The turtle in the purple mask screamed.

"Hey, we faced a lot worse than some crazy, ugly mutant cow on steroids!" Applejack said, taking a fighting stance.

"Call me a cow, hmm? Then allow me to even the score!"

The Shredder snapped his fingers and two figures immediately emerged from the shadows, each with a weapon in hand. One of them was a huge falcon with black and charcoal gray feathers that was almost as tall as the Shredder and the other was a woman dressed in armor and holding a silver crystal point staff. Celestia, Luna, and the Rainbooms froze when at the sight of the woman, especially Celestia and Twilight; they knew her all too well.

"CINCH?!" They all shrieked in unison.

"Long time no see, hmmm?" The former Principal Cinch said.

"Hey, ladies. Have you forgotten me already?" The falcon asked in a very familiar male voice.

Luna's eyes widened; she recognized the voice. "HOWARD WARREN?!"

"That's right, Luna." Warren said, ruffling his feathers. He turned to Celestia and smirked at her. "What do you think of my new look, Celestia? Took me a while to get used to it, but now I can say I have never felt better."

"What… what do you two think you're doing?!" Celestia shouted.

"Finally getting our revenge, of course. You permanently tarnished my career at the Friendship Games, you and your delinquent students got me fired from Crystal Prep, you have ruined my life! Now I say it's about time I return the favor." Cinch said before noticing Splinter. She scoffed. "Really, Celestia? _This_ is what you have resorted to? A giant, filthy, germ-infested rodent? You must have _really_ lowered your standards when it comes to men… if you can even call that thing a man."

"Leave them alone!" Twilight shouted.

Cinch turned her head and glared at Twilight before letting out a wicked laugh. "What other lies have infected _my_ students with, Celestia?"

"Leave her alone!" Splinter yelled at Cinch.

"Ooooh, an angry rat! Mommy, hold my hand! I'm scared!" Warren taunted before laughing. "Do you honestly think you have actually have a chance with a woman like _that_?" He pointed at Celestia and continued to laugh. "A situation like this would almost insult me if it weren't so funny."

"Me, too." Cinch chuckled; glaring at Celestia. "After all of these years, _this_ monstrosity before us is what you replace Sombra with? How pathetic."

"Sombra? Who's that?" Sunset asked.

"Enough talk." Shredder said. "Tonight… we fight!"

"Couldn't agree more!" Warren said, readying his sword.

Cinch smiled and took a fighting stance, remaining silent. Splinter handed Celestia a katana sword.

"Take this." He whispered.

"But what about you?" Celestia asked.

"_You_ need it more than _I_ do."

"Will you just can it?! Let's just do this already!" Warren yelled, charging at Luna.

As if on reflex, Luna jumped over Warren just before he could hit her.

"Hold still!" Warren demanded.

"Not a chance, birdbrain." Luna said as she continued to dodge and avoid Warren's attacks.

"Come on, girls! Let's show this freak how to fight, Rainboom style! GET HIM!" Rainbow Dash shouted as she and the other Rainbooms charged at the Super Shredder.

Rainbow Dash sped around the Shredder, causing him to spin around and around. He stopped, only to see Pinkie Pie floating in front of him with a container of sprinkles in her hand. She shook it.

"SURPRISE ATTACK!" She screamed, throwing the sprinkles in his face; they immediately exploded and he coughed.

"Fly, my pretties!" Fluttershy commanded a large flock of birds; they flew towards the Shredder and ferociously pecked and clawed at him.

"Take that, you blue-veined, muscle-bound cretin!" Rarity said, trying to retrain the Shredder with her gem shields.

"Try this on for size!" Twilight said, levitating the Shredder into the air.

"How 'bout this?" Applejack said, grabbing the Shredder's foot and throwing him back and forth in the air and on the ground.

The four turtles and their human friends watched in awe and shock.

"Are you guys seeing what I'm seeing?" The redheaded girl asked.

"Yeah. Those girls… are real, live _superheroes_!" The boy in black exclaimed.

"But don't you think they could use a little help?" Donnie asked.

"They seem to be doing fine on their own." Raph said before he saw the Shredder grab Fluttershy's right ankle and violently throw her against a wall.

"Fluttershy!" Her friends screamed; Pinkie Pie ran over to aid her friend.

Raph's eyes widened and he took out his Sais. "On second thought… let's give them a hand."

"Good idea." Leo said, taking out his swords. "Ninjas, attack!"

All six of them charged at the Super Shredder with their weapons ablaze. The Shredder noticed them approach and he laughed evilly at them. As the others fought, Mikey went over to help Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie.

"Hey, you gals okay?" He asked.

"Yeah, we're good." Pinkie Pie said as she helped her friend get back onto her feet. "I'm Pinkie Pie, and this is my friend Fluttershy."

"Hello." Fluttershy said meekly.

"Nice to meet you girls. Name's Michelangelo, but everyone just calls me Mikey." Mikey said, shaking hands with both girls.

"Mikey, I like it." Pinkie Pie said before gasping dramatically. "Look!"

Mikey turned around to see his brothers and friends trying to help the other Rainbooms fight the Super Shredder.

"We gotta help them, come on!" Mikey said, taking out his nunchucks.

Pinkie and Fluttershy nodded at each other before they and Mikey ran over to the Shredder to continue their fight. Not too far away, Celestia was trying to talk some sense into Cinch.

"Abacus Cinch, I don't understand." She said, a stern look on her face. "We were friends, I almost thought of you as another sister. I had everything I could ever want, a loving husband and a beautiful son. But you, my old friend… your own jealousy consumed you. You took away everything I loved, everything! And yet, you _still_ hunt me down and try to beat me in everything! Well, I will no longer stand for this nonsense." She unsheathed the katana and took a fighting stance, holding the sword tight in both hands. "I didn't want to fight you, but you've left me no choice! I am going to end this, once and for all!"

"Try it, fool!" Cinch said, readying her staff.

The two women charged at each other and they fought, their weapons clashing with one another. Splinter could only watch from the sidelines, unable to process the situation.

"Why do you persist in this madness?!" Celestia demanded.

"You took Sombra from me!" Cinch argued.

"He was never yours!"

Celestia delivered a punch, but Cinch dodged it before she knocked the katana out of Celestia's hands. Cinch kicked her hard in the stomach, causing Celestia to stumble backwards, fall to her knees, and catch her breath.

"Yes, that's it. This is what you get, Celestia. This is what you were, what you are, and what you always will be. You're a weak link in the world's worst chain." Cinch taunted.

"…At least _I_ don't wear a mask, hiding what little compassion I have left." Celestia spat, wrapping her arm around her sore abdomen.

"You should be more cautious when addressing your betters." Cinch raised her staff over her head and smiled that same deranged smile that haunted Celestia's dreams for years.

"LEAVE HER BE!" Splinter's voice screamed before Cinch was knocked to the ground.

"Yoshi!" Celestia cried as Splinter came to her aid.

"Are you alright?" He asked, helping his friend to her feet.

"Yeah, I'm okay."

"Um, if I may ask… where did you learn to fight like that?"

"Oh… I may or may not have studied abroad in Japan during my second year of college. I also might have picked up a few things here and there that weren't exactly related to school."

"WHERE AM I, IN CRAZY TOWN?! I HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS NONSENSE!" The Super Shredder screamed in frustration, violently throwing the Rainbooms and the Turtles off of him.

"My sons!" Splinter cried.

"Girls!" Celestia and Luna exclaimed.

Luna pushed Warren off of her and ran over to help Rarity and Sunset; Spike the dog ran over to Twilight, jumped into her arms, and licked her face. Cinch snarled as she got back to her feet, glaring daggers at Celestia and Splinter.

"This is between you and me, Celestia! No one else!" She shouted, charging towards her.

Cinch roughly pushed Splinter away from Celestia and the two of them continued to fight. Celestia didn't have a weapon, but she stood her ground and refused to back down.

"Why must you defend this creature? He's a _monster_!" Cinch said.

"How many times do I have to tell you this?! Yoshi is NOT A MONSTER!" Celestia screamed, trying to overpower her opponent.

"Finally. I am ending this." Shredder said, approaching Splinter.

Celestia turned her head in Splinter's direction and her eyes widened in terror; she already knew what was going to happen… and she knew she just had to stop it.

"NOOOOO!" She shrieked, pushing Cinch off of her and running towards Splinter.

"Where are you going?! Come back here and fight me!" Cinch yelled.

"Celestia, what are you doing?!" Luna demanded.

Splinter's eyes widened in terror and he tensed up, waiting for the worst. But before anything else could be done, Celestia jumped over to Splinter and used all of her strength to push him out of the way just as the Shredder was about to run him through. Luna, Spike, the Turtles, the Rainbooms, April, Casey, and even Cinch and Warren watched with wide, horror-filled eyes; everything seemed to be moving in slow motion at that moment. Just as Celestia and Splinter hit the ground, Celestia struggled to keep her balance. She quickly stumbled to the edge of the roof as she held Splinter close. The Shredder glared at them.

"What do you think you are doing?!" He demanded.

"Saving Yoshi!" She snarled.

Splinter remained silent; he was in complete shock.

"Then you… shall die WITH HIM!"

He swiped his huge hand at them, which made Celestia lose her balance and fall off of the roof, taking Splinter with her.

"Master Splinter!" Donnie and April cried.

"Father!" Leo and Raph screamed.

"Principal Celestia!" Twilight, Sunset, and Spike, exclaimed.

"Sister!" Luna shouted.

The Shredder laughed triumphantly. "Yes! Now Hamato Yoshi…" He started before he noticed a light form in between the buildings; it was growing brighter and brighter.

Everyone turned their heads in the direction of the light and after a long moment of silence, a huge glowing mass shot up from the light and into the air.

"…FLIES?!" The Shredder screamed in shock.

The light slowly subsided and everyone could clearly see that it was Master Splinter alive and unharmed; the Turtles, Casey, and April gasped in shock, but they also smiled in joy and relief at the same time. But what really stood out to everyone was the pair of massive white wings; Luna recognized them almost instantly.

"Celestia?!" She exclaimed.

"Sensei… you didn't tell us your girlfriend was an actual _angel_!" Mikey yelled.

Splinter reluctantly opened his eyes and looked behind him; Celestia was still holding him tight from behind, but she had a pair of pony ears on the top of her head, her hair was longer, and the white wings had sprouted from _her_ back, not his. He stared at her in shock.

"Celestia? …You have wings?!" He asked.

"Don't ask. I'm still getting used to them." Celestia said to him before turning her attention to the Shredder. She glared down at him. "Oroku Saki! Do you dare to attack these innocent creatures?! Do you and your new followers have a desire to be punished for these heinous crimes?!" Her voice boomed in anger.

Sunset's eyes widened as she recognized this tone of voice as the traditional Royal Canterlot Voice from back in Equestria; she had no idea it existed here, too.

"Crimes? Pfft." Warren scoffed.

"Ha! You know nothing, woman. Now give me Hamato Yoshi!" Shredder said.

"Never! I will not let you hurt him! Not now, not EVER AGAIN!" Celestia argued.

"I should've known, Celestia. _You_ are just as monstrous as _he_ is!" Cinch shouted, pointing at Splinter.

"I'm giving you a chance, Shredder." Celestia continued, ignoring Cinch. "Leave this city, never come back, and never bother Hamato Yoshi, his family, his friends, or anyone else ever again."

"You waste your breath! I will never stop until I finally have my revenge!" Super Shredder yelled, stomping his foot like a spoiled child.

"Then you will face the consequences!"

"Me? I beg to differ."

The Shredder glared at the Rainbooms and Turtles as they backed away from him, Warren, and Cinch.

"I don't mean to sound like a party pooper, but I'm kinda freaking out right now!" Pinkie Pie said, hiding behind Raph.

"Are you kidding? We've got them outnumbered." Rainbow Dash said, trying to stay calm.

"But apparently, _they_ have _us_ outmatched." Donnie chimed in.

"Leo, I think we need to start thinking about ourselves here." Mikey said.

"My sons, we must fall back! All of us!" Splinter yelled, taking a smoke bomb out of his robe.

"He's right; we need to get out of here!" Luna yelled.

"Retreating does sound like a good idea right about now, darlings." Rarity commented.

"You're right. Ninjas, Rainbooms! Retreat!" Leo shouted, as he and his brothers took out smoke bombs of their own.

The Turtles and Splinter each threw down their smoke bombs and after a moment, they all disappeared. Shredder screamed in anger.

"Where'd they go?!" Warren shouted.

"Wait! There they are!" Cinch said, pointing a finger at the sky.

They looked and saw the Turtles, Splinter, and the Rainbooms flying away. The Rainbooms and Luna all ponied up so they could get away.

"After them! We cannot let them escape!" Shredder said, jumping from rooftop to rooftop.

Warren flapped his wings, took Cinch by the shoulders in his talons, and followed after the Shredder. As they were flying, Splinter said,

"So… you girls are the Rainbooms. It is an honor to finally meet you."

"It's… nice to meet you too, sir." Sunset said; she and Donnie were in Twilight's telekinesis spell.

"Indeed, if our lives were not in mortal danger!" Rarity said; she, Pinkie Pie, and Mikey were riding one of her gem shields.

"And I assume you boys must be Yoshi's sons. It's nice to meet you." Celestia said.

"Nice to meet you too, ma'am." Leo said.

"Oh no! Look!" Fluttershy cried.

Everyone looked and saw Warren, Cinch, and the Shredder following them.

"They're gaining on us!" Mikey yelled.

"We need to go faster!" Rainbow Dash shouted.

"You think?!" Raph yelled.

Then, Splinter had an idea. He whispered something into Celestia's ear before she flew in a different direction.

"Principal Celestia, what are you doing?!" Sunset called.

"Go, my students! It is _me_ the Shredder wants! Take Luna and the Rainbooms to the lair! You will be safe there!" Splinter instructed. "If Celestia and I have not come within thirty minutes… you know what has happened."

The Turtles sadly nodded at their father before they and the Rainbooms flew off back towards the Rainboom bus.

"Shredder! You want us? Come get us!" Celestia screamed, flying away with Splinter in her embrace.

"Get them!" Warren said as he and Shredder chased after them.

Celestia and Splinter flew over and through the streets of New York, not even bothered by the fact that countless humans had seen them. As they flew, Splinter used some throwing stars to take out any cameras taking pictures of them.

"You should know that this is the craziest thing I have ever done!" Celestia said as she tried to fly higher.

"Don't worry, I believe you! Look out!" Splinter replied.

Warren and Cinch suddenly came out of nowhere and smashed into Splinter and Celestia, which caused them to crash into a building a good way away. They fell onto the sidewalk; Splinter sat up and shook his head.

"Celestia?" He asked, turning his head to see Celestia lying on the ground unconscious. "No!" He crawled over to her and held her in his arms. "No, no, no! Celestia, wake up! Please wake up! Speak to me! No, you can't leave me! Not now!"

He looked to see Warren, Cinch, and the Shredder coming towards him. He furrowed his brow and took out another smoke bomb.

"Next time, Saki." He muttered, throwing the bomb down.

The Shredder brought his fist down just as the smoke cleared, but Splinter and Celestia were nowhere in sight. Shredder screamed again.

"They're gone!" Warren shouted.

"Where did they go?" Cinch asked.

"Find them!" Shredder demanded. "I will not rest until Hamato Yoshi and his family are finally destroyed!"

The three of them were so distracted that they didn't even notice Splinter slinking down into the nearest manhole with Celestia in his embrace.


	14. Do I Love You?

"I can't believe ya'll followed us all the way out here!" Applejack ranted as she paced the floor of the Turtles' Lair. "What were you thinking?! You could've gotten hurt!" She was yelling at a group of four girls and one boy.

"Applejack, cool it!" A girl with purple and green hair said. "It's my fault, I told them to follow."

"But why, Starlight?" Sunset asked.

"Because… I'm tired of being left out." Starlight replied.

"Will you guys just DROP IT ALREADY?!" Raph screamed. "Master Splinter and Celestia still aren't here!"

"Yeah, I hope they're okay." Leo said.

"Me, too." Donnie chimed in.

"You guys don't think Super Shredder got them… do you?" Mikey asked.

"Oh, I hope not." Fluttershy answered, wrapping an arm around Mikey's shoulders.

"My… my sons!" A familiar voice called.

The Turtles, April, and Casey shot up at the sound. They were overjoyed to see Master Splinter enter the Lair carrying Celestia in his arms.

"Sensei!" They cried, running over to greet Splinter.

"Principal Celestia!" Sunset exclaimed as she and Luna ran over to see Celestia hurt. "What happened?"

"What did you do to her?!" Luna demanded.

"Shredder nearly had us, but Celestia is hurt." Splinter answered.

"Don't worry. Just take her to my lab and we'll see what's wrong." Donnie said, leading Splinter to his lab.

Celestia was laid down on the table next to Donnie's computer.

"Anything, Donnie?" Twilight asked.

"I'm running a scan right now to see if…" Donnie started before a few images appeared on the screen. "Okay, here we go. Aside from a mild concussion and a cracked rib or two, she seems fine. But she'll be out for a while."

The Rainbooms gave each other worried looks before Donnie turned his computer off.

"Maybe we should just leave her alone until she wakes up." He said.

"Good idea, bro." Raph said.

"I hope she's okay." Pinkie Pie said.

Splinter then pulled up a chair next to where Celestia was lying and sat down before the Turtles and the Rainbooms left him alone. Luna stood in the doorway and stared at Splinter and Celestia with a solemn look on her face.

"You don't trust me." Splinter commented.

"What?" Luna asked, taken aback by this sudden statement.

"There is no need to pretend. I know you do not trust me around Celestia." Splinter continued. "You see me as a monster that only wants to harm your sister. But I assure you, Luna; I am not evil nor am I a monster. I may not be human, but I still have my humanity. And I assure you that I mean no harm to Celestia. All I want is to protect her and keep her safe… You would do the same, I presume."

"I… I'm sorry, Yoshi." Luna said, sounding ashamed. She frowned and looked away from Splinter. "I'm really, very sorry for misjudging you so many times. It's just… hard for me to see my sister with someone else after…"

"Sombra?"

"Yes."

"I understand."

"I'm just afraid her heart will get broken again."

"Sombra did not leave Celestia for Cinch."

Luna's eyes widened. "What?"

"Cinch attacked Celestia the night of the fire, Sombra stepped in to protect her… and Cinch struck him instead of Celestia. Cinch was consumed by her own anger, hatred, and jealousy that she lashed out at an old friend, and took away everything that was precious to Celestia. Her husband, her son, her old home… Cinch has lied to you, hasn't she?"

Luna was shocked; she had no idea about any of this. She was told many times that Sombra had left Celestia behind and took their son with him. Luna realized that Splinter was right; she _had_ been lied to. She walked over to Splinter and reached out her hand. He gladly shook it and he smiled at her.

"I really hope she's okay." Luna glanced over at Celestia.

"I do, too." Splinter's eyes softened at her.

0-0-0-0-0-0

"Ugh, what?" Celestia groaned, begrudgingly waking up.

She slowly sat up and rubbed her head; her vision was blurred and she couldn't recognize the room she was in. She then looked under her shirt to see that most of her torso was bandaged up; then he remembered the Super Shredder, Cinch, and Warren.

"Celestia?" Splinter's voice said.

Celestia turned her head and saw Splinter sitting next to her. She smiled and wrapped her arms around him in a hug. He immediately hugged her back with fresh tears of relief streaming down his cheeks.

"Yoshi! You're okay! Thank goodness! I thought I'd lost you!" She cried.

"Me? I was worried _I_ had lost _you_!" Splinter exclaimed.

They parted. Celestia quickly noticed Splinter tears and she wiped them away; she smiled at him as he helped her back onto the floor.

"Principal Celestia! Hey, everyone! She's awake!" Spike cheered, running out of the lab.

Celestia tried to walk to the door, but her injuries prevented her from doing so. Thinking fast, Splinter had Celestia lean up against him for support and he slowly and carefully led her out of the laboratory. In the Lair, Celestia saw her students and the Turtles talking and eating pizza together. The girls turned their heads and they smiled at the sight of their principal.

"Celestia! Thank goodness!" Luna quickly went to hug her older sister.

"Principal Celestia, you're okay!" Sunset quickly joined the hug.

"Oh, I thought we were going to lose you!" Fluttershy chimed in.

"Girls, girls! Please!" Celestia cried. They all slowly backed away. "It's okay, I'm fine. But… what happened?" She rubbed her head with her free hand. "The last thing I remember was Warren and Cinch coming at me and Yoshi. Then lights out. Care to fill me in?"

The Rainbooms looked at the Turtles, nonverbally telling them to tell her everything. It took a while, but by then, Celestia, Luna, and the Rainbooms knew everything about the Turtles, what they went through, and everything leading up to this point.

"Wow… that is quite the story." Rarity commented.

"Yeah. If you weren't sitting right in front of us, I probably wouldn't have believed it." Rainbow Dash added.

"Although… I'm still disappointed that you all followed us here." Luna glared at Flash, Starlight, and the Crusaders.

"Yes, why _are_ you three here?" Celestia asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Because we wanted to help!" Scootaloo said.

"Me, too." Flash commented.

"So did I." Starlight added.

"You guys always get to save the day!" Apple Bloom said.

"Yeah, we wanted to be part of the action for once!" Sweetie Belle chimed in.

"Well, this is NO way to do it!" Rarity scolded.

As the adolescents continued to talk amongst themselves, Celestia leaned closer to Splinter and whispered into his ear,

"Yoshi, can we go somewhere more private? I need to talk to you about something _very_ important."

Splinter understood and he led her to the dojo where they could speak alone. The Turtles and the Rainbooms didn't even notice… except for Spike. He quietly followed after the two adults and stopped at the door so he could listen to their conversation. The early morning sun shined into the dojo through the grate in the ceiling.

"Celestia? What troubles you?" Splinter asked.

"You don't know how I found you, do you?" Celestia asked.

"…No, I don't. Now that I think about it, how _did_ you know where I was?"

Celestia took in a breath and after a moment, said, "Ever since Luna and I left New York a few months back, I've been having the same nightmare for the past several nights. And that nightmare… was about you. I saw your death, over and over again. I kept on seeing that bladed monster murdering you right in front of me. And finally, after what you said in my latest nightmare… I just couldn't take it anymore. I… left Canterlot High in the middle of the day and came back here to find you. I couldn't let that horrible vision come to pass, I just couldn't. I-I…" She began to cry.

Splinter wrapped his arms around her to comfort her. "…You've saved my life, and you and your students helped me and my family. Your visions have brought you here for a reason, and who am I to ignore that?"

She smiled and hugged him back. They parted.

"You also said I spoke to you in your dream?" Splinter asked.

"Yes." Celestia answered. "It was in Japanese, but after a quick translation, I… learned what it meant."

"And that is what pushed you to come here and save me."

She nodded.

"Well, you know as well as I do that dreams are often symbolic, not literal. It is rare for a dream to—"

"Yoshi… you told me you loved me."

Splinter's eyes widened in shock and he froze. "I did?"

Celestia nodded.

"Oh no. Oh no, oh no, no, no, no, no, no, no." Splinter leaned up against the tree with his back facing Celestia; he covered his eyes with his hand and started muttering to himself in Japanese as she slowly approached him.

"Well… maybe it was just a fragment of my subconscious mind. Or maybe it was something I was—" Celestia started.

"No, it is not a fragment of anything. It is… all of Yoshi." Splinter said. "…It's true. I've felt like this since the beginning. But I am not a child; I know you don't fall in love at first sight." He turned around to face her. "I cannot explain it, but at the moment we first met, I… I have felt this strange sensation deep down inside and this feeling continued to grow and grow every moment I spend with you and I know it is in the way."

"In the way? Yoshi, why does it have to be bad?"

"It is bad… if you don't want it."

"What makes you think I don't?"

"You said so yourself. A human and a mutant… just can't be. I know I could never replace your Sombra and your sister does not trust me and I—"

Splinter was suddenly cut off by Celestia wrapping her arms around him in a hug. He was taken aback by this, but then he started hugging her back. They parted.

"Yoshi, I want you to love me. Because… _I_ love _you_." She said.

Splinter was left speechless; he had no idea what to say at this point.

"But I know Tang Shen could never be replaced, your sons might not even like me, and you and I are two completely different people, but… I want to make this work."

"You do?" Splinter asked.

"More than anything."

"So do I."

They smiled.

"_Do I love you_

_Because you're beautiful_" Splinter began to sing.

"_Or are you beautiful_

_Because I love you"_

_Am I making believe_

_I see in you_

_A girl too lovely to_

_Be really true_"

He took her hands in his own.

"_Do I want you_

_Because you're wonderful_

_Or are you wonderful_

_Because I want you_

_Are you the sweet invention_

_Of a lover's dream_

_Or are you really as_

_Beautiful as you seem_"

"What if you're imagining me? Maybe I'm imagining you, too." Celestia said, walking over to the framed pictures sitting on the nearby shelf. Splinter came up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"_Am I making believe_

_I see in you" She sang._

"_A man too perfect to_

_Be really true_"

She turned around to face him; they held hands again.

"_Do I want you_

_Because you're wonderful_

_Or are you wonderful_

_Because I want you_"

"_Are you the sweet invention_

_Of a lover's dream_" They sang together.

"_Or are you really as_

_Wonderful as you seem_"

"I never thought something like this could happen to me… but now it really has." Splinter said. "I never want this moment to end."

"Neither do I." Celestia replied as they hugged once again.

"_Are you the sweet invention_

_Of a lover's dream_" They sang.

"_Or are you really as_

_Wonderful as you seem_"

They parted. Splinter gave Celestia a kiss on the forehead before she gave him a kiss on the cheek. They smiled as tears fell from their eyes. They closed their eyes as their foreheads touched.

"Are you guys gonna kiss now?!" Pinkie Pie's voice suddenly asked.

Celestia and Splinter's eyes flew open and their turned their heads to see Luna, the Rainbooms, and the Turtles standing in the dojo doorway with either shocked or excited looks on their faces.

"Oh my goodness, how romantic!" Rarity gushed.

"Awwwww!" Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle cried.

"Eww! Gimme a break!" Scootaloo gagged.

"Whoa… did not see that coming." Casey commented.

"Well, what do you know?" Flash said with a smile.

"Uh… how much of that did you hear?" Celestia asked, feeling her face turn hot.

"Not much… only _all_ of it." Leo answered.

"So are you guys like a thing now or… or what?" Mikey chimed in.

Celestia and Splinter looked at each other again.

"I'm willing to give us a try if you are." Celestia said.

Splinter smiled. "Nothing would make me happier."

"…Okay, now that we have the gooey, mushy romance junk outta the way, what are we gonna do about Cinch and those monsters?!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

"Yeah, they're still out there somewhere!" Sunset Shimmer said.

"You're both right." Splinter said. "And if I know the Shredder, he will not stop until we are ALL dead."

"Then what can we do?" Fluttershy asked.

"Hold up, 'we'?" Raph asked. "What makes you girls think you're joining us?"

"Uh, Raph, I don't think we have any other choice." April chimed in.

"April's right. At this point, we're going to need all the help we can get." Donnie said.

Leo nodded at his brother and turned to Twilight and Sunset. "You two seem to be the leaders. What do you say? Wanna work together to stop the Super Shredder once and for all?" He offered his hand.

Luna, Flash, the Rainbooms, and the Crusaders all looked at each other before Sunset took Leo's hand and shook it.

"We're in." She said.

"Does this mean we're gonna be ninjas?!" Rainbow Dash cried.

"Ninjas?! That's so cool!" Scootaloo cheered.

"Does that mean we each get weapons?" Applejack asked.

"And stylish masks and gear?" Rarity asked,

"Oooh, this is gonna be so awesome!" Apple Bloom squealed.

"Hey, hey! Look, I know you guys are excited, but being a ninja is very hard work." Leo said.

"Leonardo is right." Splinter faced the students from Canterlot High. "Training to become ninja and kunoichi will be the hardest thing any of you will ever do in your lives. It will drain you physically, mentally, and spiritually. Are you willing to accept?"

"Well… I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm willing to commit." Flash stepped forward.

"So am I." Twilight said.

"Me, too." Sunset added.

"Me, three." Starlight commented.

"And me." Luna said.

"Us, too." Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash chimed in.

"So are we." Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie said.

"And us." The Crusaders added.

"Don't forget about me." Spike said.

"Then in that case, we shall begin at once." Splinter said.

"And we have no time to lose. The Super Shredder will be waiting for us, but we'll be ready for him." Leo said.

Everyone put a hand on top of Leo's before smiling determined smiles at each other.

"Let's get started." Celestia said.


End file.
